DEP: Poor Air Quality Again Today

The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast an air quality action day for Friday, July 22, in the Philadelphia region, which includes Bucks and Montgomery counties.

On air quality action days, young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.

According to a release, the air quality forecast predicts Friday to be code ORANGE for ozone and particulate matter in all five regions, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Liberty-Clairton, Susquehanna Valley and Lehigh Valley regions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standardized air quality index uses colors to report daily air quality. Green signifies good; yellow means moderate; orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.

Ground-level ozone, a key component of smog, forms during warm weather when pollution from vehicles, industry, households and power plants “bakes” in the hot sun, making it hard for some people to breathe.

To help keep the air healthy, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily limit certain pollution-producing activities by:

• Riding the bus or carpooling to work
• Washing dishes and clothes only with full loads
• Saving energy by turning off unused lights in your home