MassDEP issues air quality warning for Wednesday

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The constant heat is worsening air quality here in Western Massachusetts and across the country, which can be dangerous.

The state Department of Environmental Protection issued another air quality warning Wednesday affecting eastern Hampden and Hampshire counties. This warning is related to elevated levels of ozone, which you may be better aware of as the main component of smog.

Ground-level ozone is created in the atmosphere when gases from car exhausts, smokestacks and factories react with sunlight. It’s a gas molecule made up of three oxygen atoms, and the atmosphere likes to say, “Up high it’s good, down low it’s bad.” High in the air, the ozone layer protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, but when you breathe it in near the ground, it damages your lungs, both in the short and long term.

Anyone exposed to the virus can experience shortness of breath by the end of the day, but pre-existing conditions such as lung disease or pregnancy can make things worse. Older and younger people are also at greater risk. Symptoms that occur include shortness of breath, wheezing or coughing.

Currently, AQI levels are OK, but as the heat increases, pollutants will also increase. According to the weather forecast, ozone measures will be required for Wednesday, as ozone alone can reach levels above 105.