The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality issued another Ozone Alert for Tulsa on Wednesday.
An Ozone Alert means conditions are favorable for the buildup of ozone near the ground, to an unhealthy level. When winds are light, the vapors from fuels such as gasoline, exhaust from engines, and air pollutants from industrial activities remain trapped near the ground.
"People with lung diseases, children, older adults, and people who are active outdoors may be particularly sensitive to ozone," according to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. "Unhealthy levels of ozone can lead to a variety of problems such as respiratory system irritation, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, increased susceptibility to infection, coughing or difficult breathing, and permanent lung damage."
Tulsans are encouraged to consider limiting outdoor activity to morning hours when ozone levels are lower.
People are also reading…
Best practices for Ozone Alert days:
• Postpone any unnecessary driving; carpool if possible. If you do drive to work, turn the air conditioner in your car off during your morning commute. If you can't wait a day to refuel your vehicle, do it in the evening after the sun goes down.
• Postpone running the lawn mower and gas trimmer. The exhaust contributes a significant amount of air pollution. Industrial facilities should reduce pollution emissions as much as possible on ozone alert days.
“These preventative measures, performed throughout the Tulsa metro area, can have a tremendous effect in reducing the pollutants that contribute to ozone problems,” OKDEQ states.
Last year saw three Ozone Alert days for the Tulsa metro, according to the DEQ. No Ozone Alert days were issued in 2020, while far fewer cars were on the road the first summer of the pandemic. Recent years with more than 20 Ozone Alert days include 2012 (21) and 2011 (25).
High temperatures in the Tulsa area will be in the mid-90s as the week continues, with even hotter days in the forecast this weekend.
Sign up for ozone alerts and get more info at tulsaairquality.com.
Featured video: Forecast from Tulsa World meteorologist Kirsten Lang
