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On Wednesday, June 26 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Long Island, Westchester County, Rockland County, and New York City will be under the air quality health advisory, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and State Department of Health (DOH) announced.
The main pollutant of concern is ground-level ozone, a major component of photochemical smog that summer heat can help form. Though it is a colorless gas, it will produce hazy skies and will generally reduce visibility.
It is not a direct emission, health officials said, and is instead produced indirectly when sunlight chemically reacts with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions.
People with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, young children, and people who exercise or work outdoors are urged to limit any strenuous outdoor activity during the advisory, especially in the afternoon and early evening, when ozone levels are the highest.
Those experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, or coughing as a result of the pollution should contact a doctor.
Additionally, the DEC urged New Yorkers to take energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps, such as:
- Using mass transit or carpooling instead of driving;
- Turning off lights and appliances in unoccupied rooms;
- Using fans to circulate air; and
- Closing the blinds or shades to preserve cooler air and limit heat build-up.
The DEC added that the surface pollutant is different than the protective ozone layer that is found in our upper atmosphere.
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