Don’t get bogged by smog
Jul. 25, 2005 – Ahhhhh, summertime is here. But sunny skies and rising temperatures come with a murky brown downside: Smog, summer’s unsightly — and unhealthy — side effect.
Smog builds when summertime sunlight "cooks" everyday emissions from motor vehicles, industry, paints, solvents and gasoline fumes. The result is ground-level ozone, the main component in smog.
Excess ozone not only mars our mountain views, but also poses health risks —especially to children, senior citizens, people with lung ailments and outdoor exercisers. As a pulmonary irritant, ozone affects lung tissues and respiratory functions and can cause lung tightness, coughing and wheezing.
While air quality is good in our region overall, on hot days we have come very close to violating the federal 8-hour standard for ozone. But there’s a lot we can do to help keep ozone levels down — simple everyday things that make clean-air sense.
Whenever temperatures reach the high 80s and above, here are five easy ways you can help reduce smog:
Drive less
Cars and trucks produce more than 700,000 pounds of smog-forming pollutants on a summer day in the Puget Sound region. Try carpooling, taking the bus, or riding a bike instead.Refuel when it’s cool and mind the cap
Refueling during cooler periods of the day or in the evening can prevent gas fumes from heating up and creating ozone. After fueling, don’t top off your tank, and make sure your gas cap is tightly sealed. This will help prevent gas fumes from being released into the air.Plug-in or park the mower
Gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment produces over 80,000 pounds of smog-forming pollutants on a summer day. Opt for electric or manual instead, or avoid using gasoline-powered yard equipment until the heat wave is over.Avoid idling
Idling your engine for longer than 30 seconds actually burns more fuel than turning off and restarting your engine.Be “air aware”
Visit our Web site (www.pscleanair.org) regularly for information on current air quality conditions and ozone levels. You can also sign up for our Clean Air Network for air quality news and Smog Watch alerts.
Working together, we can help ensure we don’t get bogged by smog!
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