The Pima County Department of Environment Quality issued an advisory for ground-level ozone air pollution for the Tucson metropolitan area on Wednesday.
Those who are especially sensitive to air pollution may experience shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation, wheezing and breathing discomfort, a news released from the PDEQ said.
PDEQ advises those who are especially sensitive to ozone to limit their level of exertion outside between noon and 6 p.m., when elevated levels of ozone pollution are more likely to occur, the news release said. Intense physical outdoor activity causes faster and deeper breathing, which allows ozone to get into the parts of the lungs that are more likely to be injured.
Children, adults who are active outdoors, people with respiratory diseases and certain individuals who have an unusual sensitivity to this particular pollutant are most likely to be sensitive to ozone, the news release said. People who are feeling symptoms should seek medical attention, if necessary.
Motor vehicle exhaust, industrial and power plant emissions, gasoline vapors, chemical solvents, as well as natural sources, emit oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds that form ozone in the presence of intense sunlight and heat, contributing to the creation of ground-level ozone, the news release said.
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