Air quality alert for the tri-cities area

[beamer_ball]

Air Quality Alert

TNZ016>018-044>047-VAZ005-008-091615-
HAWKINS-SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER-
SOUTHEAST CARTER-SCOTT-WASHINGTON-
1208 PM EDT SUN JUN 8 2008

...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FOR TRI-CITIES AREA MONDAY...

THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION HAS ISSUED A CODE ORANGE AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE TRI-CITIES AREA FOR MONDAY. AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY MEANS THAT GROUND LEVEL OZONE CONCENTRATIONS WITHIN THE REGION MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED UNHEALTHY STANDARDS.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION WEB SITE AT
TENNESSEE.GOV/ENVIRONMENT/APC/OZONE.

[pvfan]

What is the cause of this?

[NotSoSilentBob]

Ozone is what you get when hippies get too hot.

[pvfan]

Basically is just the extreme heat we've received in the last several days?

[NotSoSilentBob]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ozone in air pollution

There is a great deal of evidence to show that high concentrations (ppm) of ozone, created by high concentrations of pollution and daylight UV rays at the earth's surface, can harm lung function and irritate the respiratory system.[15][23] A connection has also been shown to exist between increased ozone caused by thunderstorms and hospital admissions of asthma sufferers.[24] Air quality guidelines such as those from the World Health Organization are based on detailed studies of what levels can cause measurable health effects.

A common British folk myth dating back to the Victorian era holds that the smell of the sea is caused by ozone, and that this smell has "bracing" health benefits.[25] Neither of these is true. The characteristic "smell of the sea" is not caused by ozone, but by the presence of dimethyl sulfide generated by phytoplankton, and dimethyl sulfide, like ozone, is toxic in high concentrations.[26]

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has developed an Air Quality index to help explain air pollution levels to the general public. 8-hour average ozone concentrations of 85 to 104 ppbv are described as "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups", 105 ppbv to 124 ppbv as "unhealthy" and 125 ppb to 404 ppb as "very unhealthy".[27] The EPA has designated over 300 counties of the United States, clustered around the most heavily populated areas (especially in California and the Northeast), as failing to comply with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Ozone can also be present in indoor air pollution.
</div></div>

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone#O..._air_pollution

[1inStripes]

The Tri-Cities have Ozone Alert days for quite some time due to days like this. When I worked one summer at Eastman for a&l maintenence part of the agreement on days like this is that engines will be restricted. The only thing that we cut on maintenence was the weedeaters to be in compliance.