Code Orange Air Quality alert issued for Philly area Monday impacting those with respiratory issues
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PHILADELPHIA - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for Monday, July 15, in the Philadelphia area, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
There will be eight-hour concentrations of ozone in the Code Orange range Monday due to partly to mostly sunny skies, light southwest winds, and high temperatures in the upper 90s, the DEP says.
Ozone is formed when airborne chemicals such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, also known as precursors, react with sunlight.
High ozone levels are most common during summer months when there are long days with plentiful sunshine and high levels of ozone precursors combined.
Ozone pollution is most common in densely populated areas with higher amounts of car exhaust and industrial air emissions.
What is a Code Orange Air Quality warning?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) has standardized color codes for forecasting and reporting daily air quality.
Green signifies good air quality;
Yellow means moderate air quality;
Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people;
Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.
An Air Quality Action Day is declared when the AQI will be Code Orange or higher.
Who is impacted?
Young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities on Code Orange Air Quality Action Days, officials say.
How to reduce ozone pollution?
Folks within the Air Quality Action Day area are encouraged to help reduce ozone air pollution by doing the following:
• Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation;
• Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;
• Limiting engine idling;
• Refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and
• Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.
For more information, visit DEP, or the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Air Quality Partnership.
Residents are encouraged to check this website for current conditions in their area.