Results tagged “ozone”

Sunny skies continue! Today will be much like yesterday albeit slightly more humid. Expect a sunny day with a high in the upper 80s. There is an Air Quality Alert in effect for this afternoon and evening. Ground level ozone is the culprit. During air quality alerts the Office of Emergency Management recommends reducing strenuous outdoor activity to reduce the risk of health problems associated with breathing ozone deep into your lungs. Others that are sensitive to elevated levels of ozone include the very young and people with pre-existing respiratory problems.

NYC’s air quality has gotten substantially worse compared to other cities, according to the American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" survey. Since last year the city jumped from 10th worst in the nation for ozone pollution (smog) to an eighth place ranking. And in the category of short-term particle pollution (soot), NYC nabbed 13th place after ranking 17th worst in the last study. (L.A., the undisputed smog heavyweight, coasted to 1st place again.)