For Immediate Release
May 15, 2008
Bay Area Residents Advised to Beware of Smog-Related Health Risks during Heat Waves
San Francisco, Calif. - With the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) issuing the year’s first Spare the Air Day on Thursday, BREATHE CALIFORNIA is advising children, seniors, and those with a form of lung disease, such as asthma, emphysema or lung cancer to take steps to protect their health. Adults who work outdoors, such as gardeners or construction workers, may also be adversely affected in the afternoon hours when ozone levels are highest.
On hot days, the Bay Area is prone to experience a rise in ground level ozone pollution, the main component in smog. Exposure to high levels of ozone pollution can irritate and damage the lungs, causing reduced lung function, excessive coughing, irritation of the throat and shortness of breath. Ozone pollution has also been linked to heart and asthma attacks and studies have shown that as ozone levels increase, so does the risk of premature death. To reduce your exposure to ozone and its health effects:
- Limit outdoor exposure in the afternoon hours, when ozone levels are highest. This is especially important for children with asthma.
- Keep windows and doors closed from the early morning hours to prevent smog levels from rising inside your home.
- Avoid strenuous activity in the afternoon, including playing basketball or soccer, heavy manual labor and vigorous running, cycling or hiking.
- If you want to garden or exercise, do so in early hours of the day or after sundown.
“When temperatures rise, ozone pollution poses a significant, yet often overlooked, danger to people like children with asthma,” said Dave Low, a spokesman for BREATHE CALIFORNIA. “So, it’s very important for these susceptible people to monitor air quality levels and taking appropriate steps to protect themselves during the many heat waves we expect to see this summer.”
Breathe California also joins the BAAQMD in encouraging local residents to drive less, carpool or take public transit to help reduce the formation of ozone on hot days when conditions are ripe for air pollution. Thursday also coincides with Bike to Work Day and Breathe California encourages those who are not susceptible to high air pollution levels to leave their car home and “spare the air.”
To learn more about how you can protect yourself from the health risks posed by air pollution, contact BREATHE CALIFORNIA by calling 1-877-3-BREATHE or visiting www.breathecalifornia.org. Air quality levels and forecasts can be found in many daily newspapers, at www.sparetheair.org, or by signing up for AirAlerts at the BAAQMD website: www.baaqmd.gov.