HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast air quality action days for Aug. 15, 16 and 17 in several regions across Pennsylvania.
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Saturday's forecast is for the Liberty/Clairton region; Sunday's is for the Liberty/Clairton, Pittsburgh and Susquehanna Valley regions; and Monday's is for the Liberty/Clairton, Pittsburgh, Susquehanna Valley and Berks/Lehigh Valley regions.
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The air quality forecast predicts Saturday will be code ORANGE for particulate matter in the Liberty/Clairton region.
The air quality forecast predicts Sunday will be code ORANGE for particulate matter in the Liberty/Clairton region, and code ORANGE for ozone in the Pittsburgh and Susquehanna Valley regions.
The air quality forecast predicts Monday will be code ORANGE for particulate matter in the Liberty/Clairton region and Code Orange for ozone in the Pittsburgh, Susquehanna Valley and Berks/Lehigh Valley regions.
Code ORANGE forecasts for Sunday and Monday are possible in the Philadelphia region which includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Those forecasts will be issued this weekend.
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.
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.
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.
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. Unlike ozone, particulate matter pollution can occur year-round. 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 hospitals 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. To help keep the air healthy, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily limit certain pollution-producing activities by taking the following steps:
These forecasts are provided in conjunction with the Air Quality Partnership of the Delaware Valley, the Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership, the Lehigh Valley/Berks Air Quality Partnership, and the Susquehanna Valley Air Quality Partnership.
For more information on ozone, visit www.depweb.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.
-- The Berks/Lehigh Valley region includes Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties; -- The Susquehanna Valley region includes Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties; -- The Pittsburgh region includes Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties; and -- The Liberty/Clairton region includes the boroughs of Clairton, Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue in Southeastern Allegheny County.
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
