BAD AIR DAY ADVISORY
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS
WHO? Post for Camp Directors, Counselors, and Staff
WHAT? OZONE POLLUTION! On hot summer days,
ground-level ozone levels can become unhealthy for
sensitive people. Children and teens fall into this category
because their lungs are still developing and they are often
engaged in vigorous activities in their neighborhoods or at
summer camps. In addition, one out of every 13 school-
age students has asthma.
BAD AIR? HERE? Yes, even in the lovely, often rural
settings of camps, ozone can affect air quality. Ozone is
sometimes worse in beautiful, pristine areas because it
can be carried by the winds hundreds of miles away from
the sources of the pollution.
WHEN? Ground-level ozone is created by hot weather and air pollutants. High ozone levels are
most likely to occur on hot, sticky, sunny days with light to moderate winds. Ozone levels tend to
peak in mid-afternoon to early evening hours and (if ozone concentrations are high) that's the
time to reduce physical exertion.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN TO BE CONCERNED? It's easy to keep track of air quality and make
good decisions to protect campers' health. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a simple tool used to
report current air quality conditions. EPA's AirNow website provides links to AQI values reported
across the country. Color-coded maps of near real-time data illustrate if the air is:
MODERATE
For both AQI & Ozone Action information, check out
http;//www.epa.gov/airnow/
&EPA
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
EPA-451/F-01-002 \/
Special thanks to:
Michigan Dept of Environmental Quality
for use of this material
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5, Library (PL-12J)
77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor
Chicago. IL 60604-3590
f
AMERICAN
LUNG
ASSOCIATION.
1-800-LUNC-USA
www.lungusa.org
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