PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is issuing ozone High Pollution Advisories (HPAs) for Maricopa County, effective Tues., April 11, and Wed., April 12, 2017. These HPAs are due to ozone levels expected to accumulate enough to exceed the federal health standard for ozone.

People most affected by ozone include children, senior citizens, people who work or exercise outdoors and people with pre-existing respiratory disease. Ozone can irritate the respiratory system, aggravate asthma and reduce the immune system’s ability to fight off respiratory infections. Ozone-related health problems include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, and throat and lung irritation.

Employers and Travel Reduction Program Transportation Coordinators are advised to activate their HPA Plans immediately. ADEQ further recommends that the general public limit outdoor activity while the HPA is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems.

ADEQ, MCAQD and Valley Metro recommend residents and businesses use the following tips and resources to reduce ozone pollution and make the air healthier to breathe:

Drive as little as possible, carpool, use public transit or telecommute
Re-fuel your vehicle after dark
Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants or banks – park your car and go inside
Visit valleymetro.org and ShareTheRide.com to plan a transit trip or find a carpool or vanpool
Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers and delay big painting projects
Make sure containers of household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals and other solvents are sealed properly to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air
Visit cleanairmakemore.com to learn more about reducing air pollution

While the new, more stringent federal health standard for ozone triggers more frequent Health Watches and HPAs, the fact is that over the past two decades, Arizona has achieved significant improvements in our overall air quality and more specifically, lower ozone levels. Each and every one of us can make a difference in continuing to improve the quality of the air we breathe through simple actions that follow.