Bay Area heatwave leads to unhealthy air; Spare the Air warning issued

Air in the Bay Area will be unhealthy on Tuesday, said the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which has issued a Spare the Air warning for smog.

The district said that very high temperatures inland of over 37 degrees and a light breeze from the sea in the afternoon, together with car exhaust fumes, would lead to increased ozone and smog concentrations.

Ozone pollution is particularly harmful for young children, the elderly and people with respiratory and heart diseases. The agency said that people should only exercise outdoors in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.

“Spare the Air” warnings are issued when ozone pollution is expected to reach levels that are hazardous to health.

Ozone can cause throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. It can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and aggravate bronchitis and emphysema.

Long-term exposure may impair lung function.

To find out when a Spare the Air alert is in effect, residents can sign up for email AirAlerts at www.sparetheair.org, call 1(800) HELP-AIR, download the Spare the Air app, or connect with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.