PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Ozone High Pollution Advisory Friday and Saturday for Phoenix.
The warning regarding the colorless pollutant means ozone levels could get close to, meet or exceed federal air quality standards, which can impact health.
Ozone is made up of a combination of sunlight, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
"In summer we have much, much more sunlight. We have longer sunlight, and we have a bigger intensity of sunlight, which is why ozone formation is a problem in the summertime, and it's not so much a problem in the wintertime," Pierre Herckes, a professor in ASU's School of Molecular Sciences, said.
It's bad for the air, but it can also be bad for people's health.
"It is an issue because it is an irritant to your lungs when you breathe," Herckes said. "It will want to react with surfaces in there and then also it can actually impact your skin or other kinds of surfaces."
Dr. Andrew Carroll, a family physician in the Valley, said especially those with respiratory issues need to take precautions.
The recommendation is to stay inside, especially in the heat of the day when ozone peaks.
"If you're outside and you start to feel yourself short of breath, sometimes that's due to the heat, and you're trying to push off the heat out of your lungs. But you know, if you have a pre-existing lung condition, just be aware that you may be experiencing an asthma exacerbation or maybe a COPD exacerbation, and pay attention to that, because you don't want to get that to get too far," Carroll said.
To help address ozone as a whole, ADEQ and Herckes say it's best to carpool, drive less, not idle your car and re-fuel after dark.
"When it is a little colder you actually emit less VOCs in the process of refueling your car," Herckes said.
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