Kansas City metro’s first ozone alert of the year issued for Thursday
An air quality alert has been issued Thursday, the first time this year an ozone action alert has been issued for the Kansas City metro, according to the Mid-America Regional Council.
The poor air quality is forecast to be an orange ozone alert, which means an unhealthy level of ground-level ozone, known as ozone pollution or smog, is expected for people sensitive to pollution, according to the agency, known as MARC.
SkyCast forecasts “an unhealthy level of ground-level ozone” will hit the metro with moderate to high levels of air pollution, which is expected to affect sensitive groups.
Ozone pollution can reach unhealthy levels when exhaust from vehicles, garden and lawn equipment as well as other sources react to heat and sunlight. Environmental factors also come into play with ozone alerts, since wind speeds, rain, sunlight and other weather conditions can increase the poor air quality.
What to do
Those who are sensitive to poor air quality are advised to reduce outdoor activities, which can decrease symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest pains, nausea, difficulty breathing and throat irritation.
It’s also recommended that all outdoor activities be held before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Thursday.
The alert also suggests that citizens should take steps to reduce their own emissions. Those who commute to work are recommended to use public transportation, carpooling and bike rides as an alternative. The alert also suggests to wait until after 7 p.m. to mow lawns or refuel vehicles.
This marks the Kansas City region’s first ozone alert of the year.
