Ozone Air Quality Forecasts Now Nationwide

National maps are now available daily so citizens can protect themselves against breathing unhealthy polluted air.

Ozone is primarily a concern in the summer, because it forms when tailpipe exhaust and smokestack emissions combine in heat and sunlight. Because it builds up over time, and prolonged exposure is the concern, the late afternoon and early evening are generally the most unhealthy times to be outdoors, and people -- particularly the elderly, very young and those with pre-existing heart and lung ailments -- should avoid strenuous outdoor activity during those times.

Global warming is expected to exacerbate bad air days because summer heat will grow more prolonged and intense. But government has been tightening the rules for emissions, as research shows how insidious a pollutant ozone can be. New rules will reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds and nitrous oxides that power plants and factories can emit, reducing the compounds that combine to form ozone.

The forecasts help people plan their activities to protect their lungs.

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