Air Quality and Outdoor Activities: Recommendations for Schools

                  Air Quality Index (AQI) Chart for Ozone (8-hr standard)
ACTIVITY

Recess (15 min)
RE. (1 hr)
Scheduled Sporting
Events
Athletic Practice
and Training (over
Ihr)

Oto50
GOOD
No Restrictions
No Restrictions
No Restrictions
No Restrictions

51 to 100
MODERATE
No Restrictions
No Restrictions
Individuals who are
unusually sensitive to
ground-level ozone
should limit intense
activities.
Individuals who are
unusually sensitive to
ground-level ozone
should limit intense
activities.
101 to 150
UNHEALTHY FOR
SENSITIVE GROUPS
Make indoor space
available for children
with asthma or other
respiratory problems.
Consider making indoor
play space available for
children with asthma or
other respiratory problems.
Individuals with asthma
or other respiratory or
cardiovascular illness
should increase rest
periods and reduce
activities to lower
breathing rates.
Individuals with asthma
or other respiratory or
cardiovascular illness
should increase rest
periods and reduce
activities to lower
breathing rates.
1
1151 to 200 201 to 300
UNHEALTHY VERY UNHEALTHY
Any child who
complains of difficulty
breathing, or who
has asthma or other
respiratory problems,
should be allowed to
play indoors.
Any child who
complains of difficulty
breathing, or who
has asthma or other
respiratory problems,
should be allowed to
play indoors.
Consideration
should be given
to rescheduling or
relocating event.
Activities over
1 hour should
decrease intensity
and duration.
Add rest breaks or
substitutions to lower
breathing rates.
Restrict outdoor
activities to light to
moderate exercise.
Restrict outdoor
activities to light to
moderate exercise not
to exceed one hour.
Event should be
rescheduled or
relocated indoors.
Sustained rigorous
exercise for more
than one hour should
be rescheduled,
moved indoors or
discontinued

United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Air and Radiation(630l A)
            November 201 I
           EPA-456/F-II-005

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                                            HOW TO USE THIS CHART

This chart is for restrictions of outdoor activities affected by ground-level ozone pollution. It should be used to modify plans for outdoor activities such
as recess, lunch, and physical education class. It is best used in conjunction with ozone air quality forecasts. If a code red ozone day is expected, consider
moving prolonged or vigorous activities inside or rescheduling them to morning hours to decrease exposure to ozone pollution. Next day air quality
forecasts are updated by 5 pm Eastern Time and the ozone maps or measured air quality levels are updated hourly. Both can be viewed at www.airnow.gov.

Here's an example of how this chart may be used to determine changes for a Friday afternoon physical education program:

      Step 1: Thursday afternoon, check the air quality forecast for Friday at www.airnow.gov. While there, sign up for EnviroFlash at www.enviroflash.
      info, to receive the forecast by e-mail.

      Step 2: If the air quality forecast for Friday is Orange, or Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, make arrangements to have indoor space available for
      children with asthma or other lung diseases.

      Step 3: On Friday before class, go to www.airnow.gov to check if there are any updates to the forecast. Some state and local air quality agencies
      will update the current day's forecast to a different color if pollution is worse than originally expected. If you subscribe to EnviroFlash emails,
      you can choose to be notified via email of forecast updates.

The health benefits of regular exercise are well documented. The intent of this chart is to help children continue to exercise while protecting their health
when air quality is poor. Even when air quality is poor, exercise can be continued indoors. Indoor air can have significantly less ozone than outdoor air.

Health Effects of Ground-level Ozone (O3)

      • Constriction of airways forcing the respiratory system to work harder to provide oxygen
      • Coughing, pain when taking a deep breath, wheezing and inflammation of the airways including the deep portions of the lungs
      • Increased fatigue
      • Reduced athletic performance
      • Aggravated lung disease

Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects including decreased lung function, possible development of diseases such as
asthma and bronchitis, or a shortened life span. Ground-level ozone reaches its highest level during the afternoon and early evening.

Please note: Before cancelling a scheduled outdoor athletic event, call your local air quality agency for up-to-date information for your specific location.

Resources: AIRNOW (www.airnow.gov), EnviroFlash (www.enviroflash.info)



* For wildfires or other air pollution episodes, it may be necessary to modify these recommendations to minimize outdoor physical activities. In this situation,
contact your local Air Quality Agency for more details.

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