Ozone Alert declared for Thursday in Tulsa area
BY Staff Reports
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Officials declared Thursday as an Ozone Alert day in the Tulsa area.
Tulsa has exceeded acceptable ozone limits 14 times so far this year: twice in May, four times in June, and eight times in July, most recently on Friday.
People with lung or heart disease should be aware that increased air pollution may cause them to experience adverse health effects. Symptoms include chest pain, coughing, sneezing, nausea, headache and pulmonary congestion.
Children and adults, especially those with a respiratory disease such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion on Ozone Alert days.
Ozone Alerts are initiated when projected weather conditions are conducive to the generation of ground-level ozone, which is formed when greenhouse gases are heated by the sun, and the wind is not likely to be strong enough to disperse the ozone.
On Ozone Alert days people are asked to limit their use of gasoline-powered cars, boats and lawn equipment and not to fill their gas tanks until evening.
The first Ozone Alert day of the season was May 18. Thursday's will be the 14th Ozone Alert so far this year.
For more information on Ozone Alerts, visit tulsaworld.com/ozonealert.
