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What is an ozone
action day?
The Ozone Action
Partnership has arranged for meteorologists from TVA (Tennessee
Valley Authority) to forecast ozone levels during ozone season
(May through September). If the 8-hour average ozone concentration is predicted to be higher than 85 parts per billion, an ozone
action day is called for the next day. In the chart below, a
specific color has been assigned to each category. For example,
red means “unhealthy” conditions and purple means “very
unhealthy” conditions.
Air
Quality Index
| Air
Quality |
8
hour standard parts per billion (ppb) |
Protect
Your Health |
| Good |
0
- 64 |
No
health impacts are expected when air quality is in this
range. |
| Moderate |
65
- 84 |
Unusually
sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged
outdoor exertion. |
| Unhealthy
for Sensitive Groups |
85
- 104 |
Active
children and adults, and people with respiratory
disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion. |
| Unhealthy |
105
- 124 |
Active
children and adults, and people with respiratory
disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor
exertion; everyone else, especially children, should
limit prolonged outdoor exertion. |
| Very
Unhealthy (Alert) |
>125 |
Active
children and adults, and people with respiratory
disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor
exertion; everyone else, especially children, should
limit prolonged outdoor exertion. |
How will you know
if an ozone action day has been called?
The local media will
include the forecast as part of their evening news the day
before ozone levels are predicted to be high. You can also check
EPA’s website everyday after 4:00 p.m., and if your employer
is an active partner in the Ozone Action Partnership, you may
receive word from your management.
What
is tomorrow’s forecast? (click here for forecast)
What
can you do when an ozone action day is called? (click here to
find out)
©Copyright
2001 |
