Ozone Joins Wildfires To Worsen Air Quality In Nassau, Suffolk

UPDATE: An advisory for ozone has been issued for Long Island in addition to the statewide air quality health advisory in effect statewide for fine particulate matter in effect for Friday.

The pollutant of concern: Ozone.

"The smoky and hazy sky in an otherwise mostly sunny, stagnant air mass in the New York City Metro region today is very conducive for ozone production. The wildfire smoke can enhance the ozone production, but it’s not the primary component," DEC officials said.

Summer heat can lead to the formation of ground-level ozone, a major component of photochemical smog. Automobile exhaust and out-of-state emission sources are the primary sources of ground-level ozone and are the most serious air pollution problems in the northeast, they said. This surface pollutant should not be confused with the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

Ozone and PM2.5 are two different pollutants that form in different ways: PM2.5 is often produced directly as smoke from wildfires and other sources of small particles emitted into the air. Ozone is not a direct emission, and is produced indirectly when sunlight chemically reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. High ozone isn’t as visible as PM2.5 because it’s a colorless gas, but it will produce hazy skies and reduce visibility in high concentrations, they said.

LONG ISLAND, NY — As New Yorkers and many others prepared to get away for a long Fourth of July holiday weekend, smoke from Canada's 500 wildfires settled on the region before dawn Friday and air pollution levels rose.

The Air Quality Index as of 9 a.m. showed a range of pollution levels, with the worst air quality on the western end of the island:

• Malverne: 156
• West Hempstead: 154
• Merrick: 151
• Levittown: 145
• Islandia: 117
• Port Jefferson: 116
• Riverhead: 115
• Holtsville: 102

Things weren't better at the Jersey shore; for example, Monmouth Beach had an AQI of 140.

The smoke is expected to dissipate locally on Saturday, according to Canadian forecasts at firesmoke.ca. Meanwhile, an air quality alert continues in effect for Nassau and Suffolk counties.

There were 497 wildland fires burning in Canada Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center; 28 were new.

Most Canadians live along the southern border. Northern Canada contains nearly 9 percent of the world’s forests. The Canadian boreal forest, which stretches from Newfoundland and Labrador on the Atlantic Coast to northeastern British Columbia and the Yukon Territory, is the largest intact forest left in the world, according to the Natural Resources Defense Fund.

When forests burn, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and acrid, toxic smoke that contains fine particulate matter. Exposure to large amounts can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to PM 2.5.

When outdoor levels are elevated, going indoors may reduce exposure. If there are significant indoor sources of PM 2.5 (tobacco, candle or incense smoke, or fumes from cooking) levels inside may not be lower than outside. Some ways to reduce exposure are to minimize outdoor and indoor sources and avoid strenuous activities in areas where fine particle concentrations are high.

When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity.

A toll-free hotline has been established so New York residents can stay informed on the air quality situation: 1-800-535-1345.

SEE ALSO: July Fourth Travel 2023: When To Get Out, Back To The NY Metro Area