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Log inHigh ozone levels prompt call for tougher limits
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High ozone levels prompt call for tougher limits
by Outspoken on Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:31 am
High ozone levels prompt call for tougher limits
An air-quality alert is issued after the state exceeds the standard for healthy air again.
By ANNE GLEASON
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
This week's spate of hot, muggy weather marked the second batch of unhealthy air so far this summer, according to federal officials, but some Maine health advocates argue that the actual number of unhealthy days has been much higher.
"Ozone doesn't have a smell, and you can't see it, so it's the perfect thing to ignore," said Edward Miller, executive director of the American Lung Association of Maine. "People have a false sense of security."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last spring issued new health standards for ozone, the primary component of smog, lowering the federal standard from 84 parts per billion to 75 parts.
Air-quality alerts, which were issued Tuesday and Wednesday, therefore are triggered when ozone concentrations exceed the 75 number.
But many health organizations, including the American Lung Association, believe that limits need to be even more stringent -- closer to 60 or 70 parts per billion -- in order to protect the public from the long-term damage caused by "bad" ozone.
Ground-level ozone is hazardous to breathe, and most of Maine exceeded healthy air standards on Wednesday -- the third such day this summer.
With a standard of 60 parts per billion, Maine would have 16 days of air-quality alerts this season, Miller said.
Much of the ozone-forming pollutants drift to Maine from East Coast cities, such as Washington and Boston, and also parts of the Midwest, said Martha Webster, air quality meteorologist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Ozone is considered a seasonal pollutant because it requires strong sunlight and thrives in warmer weather. It's formed when pollutants from cars, power plants and other sources react chemically with sunlight.
Miller acknowledged that many residents don't pay attention to air alerts and don't change their behavior, refusing to follow general tips such as refraining from strenuous outdoor activity and limiting vehicle idling.
"It's going to take some time for people to understand the implications of it," Miller said. "But we are not getting told the truth about how bad the air quality really is. Our responsibility is to let the public know that this is something you need to be concerned about."
Miller likened impacts of ozone to "a sunburn on your lungs." Individuals are affected by it to different degrees. Those most sensitive include children, adults who are active outdoors, senior citizens and people with asthma and other respiratory problems.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=198719&ac=PHnws
An air-quality alert is issued after the state exceeds the standard for healthy air again.
By ANNE GLEASON
Staff Writer Portland Press Herald
This week's spate of hot, muggy weather marked the second batch of unhealthy air so far this summer, according to federal officials, but some Maine health advocates argue that the actual number of unhealthy days has been much higher.
"Ozone doesn't have a smell, and you can't see it, so it's the perfect thing to ignore," said Edward Miller, executive director of the American Lung Association of Maine. "People have a false sense of security."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last spring issued new health standards for ozone, the primary component of smog, lowering the federal standard from 84 parts per billion to 75 parts.
Air-quality alerts, which were issued Tuesday and Wednesday, therefore are triggered when ozone concentrations exceed the 75 number.
But many health organizations, including the American Lung Association, believe that limits need to be even more stringent -- closer to 60 or 70 parts per billion -- in order to protect the public from the long-term damage caused by "bad" ozone.
Ground-level ozone is hazardous to breathe, and most of Maine exceeded healthy air standards on Wednesday -- the third such day this summer.
With a standard of 60 parts per billion, Maine would have 16 days of air-quality alerts this season, Miller said.
Much of the ozone-forming pollutants drift to Maine from East Coast cities, such as Washington and Boston, and also parts of the Midwest, said Martha Webster, air quality meteorologist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Ozone is considered a seasonal pollutant because it requires strong sunlight and thrives in warmer weather. It's formed when pollutants from cars, power plants and other sources react chemically with sunlight.
Miller acknowledged that many residents don't pay attention to air alerts and don't change their behavior, refusing to follow general tips such as refraining from strenuous outdoor activity and limiting vehicle idling.
"It's going to take some time for people to understand the implications of it," Miller said. "But we are not getting told the truth about how bad the air quality really is. Our responsibility is to let the public know that this is something you need to be concerned about."
Miller likened impacts of ozone to "a sunburn on your lungs." Individuals are affected by it to different degrees. Those most sensitive include children, adults who are active outdoors, senior citizens and people with asthma and other respiratory problems.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=198719&ac=PHnws
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Plato (427-347 BC)
Plato (427-347 BC)
