Tips to Help Clear the Air

Summer Air Quality

Summer has arrived and so has the pleasant weather. But with summer's weather comes a not-so-pleasant reality: dry, hot weather can contribute to higher levels of ozone pollution and fine smoke and dust particles. You can help reduce summertime pollutants, like ozone and fine particles.  Click on the categories below for "clean air" tips to get you started. Travel Green Live Green Green Workplace  Fine particles of smoke can make their way to Spokane from regional wildfires. When inhaled, these microscopic particles travel deep into the lungs, damaging delicate lung tissue. Breathing these particles are especially harmful to those suffering from existing heart and lung diseases, as well as the pregnant and the elderly. Ground-level, ozone is a hazardous pollutant.  Ozone can be "good" or "bad" depending on where it is. In the Earth's upper atmosphere, ozone forms a protective layer against UV radiation.  At ground-level ozone is harmful air pollutant and a primary component of smog. It is formed when vapors from gasoline and other "bake" in the presence of sunlight, creating ozone pollution.  Breathing ozone pollution causes respiratory problems and aggravates asthma. Even otherwise healthy adults who are working or exercising outside may be affected by elevated ozone pollution.  What is the standard for ozone and does Spokane meet the standard?   The Spokane-area currently meets the health-based standard for ozone, although we are seeing a slow but steady increase in our ozone pollution levels. In May 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued tougher air quality standards to better protect your health from ground-level ozone. The stricter standard is 0.075 parts per million (ppm) averaged over eight hours. Scientific evidence shows that lung damage caused by continual exposure to lower levels of ozone air pollution poses the greatest health risk. The eight-hour standard provides a higher level of protection, especially for children and adults who spend a lot of time working of playing outdoors.   What can you do to protect yourself and your family? Pay attention to air quality. Current and forecasted air quality is available at your fingertips. You can go to www.spokanecleanair.org and click on "air quality now" or you can call the Air Quality Index hotline at 477-2571. You can also sign up to receive emails under the American Lung Association's Breathe Easy Network, at www.alaw.org. On "moderate" ozone level days (condition "Yellow" on the Air Quality Index) unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavey exertion outdoors. When ozone reaches the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category (Orange) active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.

Travel Green. Live Green. & It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air
Spokane has joined several cities in the nation as an official "It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air" community partner. Click here for more information about Spokane's program.  New for 2008, Spokane Clean Air is continuing the clean air message by partnering with the Commute Trip Reduction Office's Travel Green. Live Green initiative.