Connecticut DEP Announces Ozone Forecasting Season

A spring chill may be on, but Connecticut has seen near record-breaking high temperatures into the low 90s already this year. With that in mind, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says Connecticut is now into its summer ozone forecasting season and the agency will be making daily ozone forecasts until the ozone season ends on September 30.

The first day of the season, Saturday, May 1, was recorded as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” throughout the state. During 2009 Connecticut had six unhealthy air quality days.

A forecast of “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” indicates an increased likelihood of respiratory symptoms and breathing discomfort in active children and adults with respiratory disease, such as asthma. A forecast of “moderate” air quality levels suggests that unusually sensitive individuals may experience respiratory symptoms.

Actions people can take to improve air quality when “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” is forecast include:

*Conserve electricity and set air conditioners to 78 degrees F

*Drive less by carpooling, vanpooling and/or take public transportation, when possible

*Telecommute-work from home, when possible

*Avoid idling your vehicle

*Avoid refueling vehicles until after dusk

*Avoid mowing lawns with gasoline powered mowers until after 6 pm.

Next day air quality forecasts can be accessed via the web at www.ct.gov/dep/cwp or by calling 860-424-4167.

The goal of outreach efforts is to help people understand the causes of unhealthy outdoor air quality, the importance of the air quality index, the health effects of air quality, what people can do to protect their health when air quality is poor, and how they can reduce air pollution by making simple choices in their daily lives. 

Don’t forget — unhealthy ground-level ozone concentrations may cause a variety of respiratory problems, including breathing difficulty, coughing, and throat irritation. Breathing ozone can affect lung function and worsen asthma episodes.

Children and adults who are active outdoors, and people with existing respiratory disease such as asthma, are the most susceptible to ozone’s effects.

Visit the EPA’s Air Quality Awareness home page at www.epa.gov/airnow/airaware/airaware.html to learn more about:

*What Causes Air Pollution

*Keeping Your Lungs and Heart Safe

*What You Can Do to Make the Air Cleaner

*Educational Tools for Teachers