Air Quality Alert Monday: Unhealthy For Sensitive Groups

WEST GREENWICH, RI —An air quality alert is being issued for Monday July 3, according to the state Department of Environmental management. This alert is for sensitive groups, meaning children, the elderly and people with lung disease. They are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, the state said, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air. The impact will be greatest in the southern part of Rhode Island.

The alert is a continuation of the air quality alert that started Sunday, due to the combination of "ample sunshine, heat, a stalled frontal boundary, and favorable light southwest flows," said Darren J Austin, senior air quality specialist. Those conditions allow ozone to reach unhealthy levels statewide. The ozone levels will be highest in the afternoon through the late evening with the highest readings in the south. Monday, the air quality again looks problematic."

He went on to say the Department of Health warns that unhealthy levels of ozone can cause throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, increased susceptibility to respiratory infection and aggravation of asthma and other respiratory ailments. These symptoms are worsened by exercise and heavy activity. The children, elderly and people who have underlying lung diseases, such as asthma, are at particular risk of suffering from these effects. As ozone levels increase, the number of people affected and the severity of the health effects also increase.