Air Quality Action Days Forecast On Wednesday For Central Pennsylvania, Lehigh Valley

Residents, Businesses Encouraged to Voluntarily Reduce Air Pollution

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and its regional Air Quality Partnerships today announced an air quality action day is forecast for Wednesday, July 12, in the Susquehanna Valley and Berks/Lehigh Valley regions.

The forecast indicates Wednesday will be Code ORANGE for fine particulate matter, commonly called PM2.5. The Susquehanna Valley includes Cumberland, Lebanon, Dauphin, Lancaster and York counties. The Berks/Lehigh Valley covers Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties.

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). Air quality action days are declared at orange and red when fine particulate matter reaches unhealthy levels.

Fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, has a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, about one-thirtieth the diameter of a human hair. These particles can get deep into the lungs and cause significant health problems. PM 2.5 has been determined to be most closely associated with health effects related to increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for heart and lung disease, increased respiratory symptoms and disease, and decreased lung function.

The particles come from a wide range of sources --- from power plants, industry, cars, trucks, buses, wood stoves and forest fires. Some particles are released when fuels are burned; others form in the atmosphere from reactions between gases released from power plants and factories.

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

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

• Ride the bus or carpool to work;
• Avoid burning leaves, trash and other materials;
• Wash dishes and clothes with full loads; and
• Save energy --- do not overcool your home.
  

These forecasts are provided in conjunction with the Lehigh Valley/Berks and the Susquehanna Valley Air Quality Partnerships.

Residents can receive early warnings about bad air days by signing up to receive the DEP’s free daily ozone forecasts by e-mail. Those who do not have Internet access can call the Susquehanna Valley Partnership at 1-888-772-1306, and Lehigh Valley residents can call 1-877-517-2969.

For more information on ozone, visit DEP’s Web site at www.dep.state.pa.us. Keyword: “Ozone.” To view the air quality forecast, for more information on the Air Quality Partnerships, or to sign up to receive free daily forecasts by e-mail, visit www.aqpartners.org.

(Source: Pa. DEP media release)