Texas drivers have been urged to avoid using their cars amid warnings over severe air pollution this week.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued an “Ozone Action Day” alert on Monday afternoon that’s set to be in place across Houston, Galveston and Brazoria on Tuesday. That means road users have been asked to limit driving for 24 hours in an attempt to improve pollution levels caused by ozone.
Ozone is a gas that occurs both above the Earth and at ground level. The ozone layer in the upper atmosphere protects the planet from the sun’s radiation, but ozone that forms at ground level—caused by a chemical reaction in the sunlight between pollutants, such as car exhaust fumes and power plant emissions—is harmful.
This week’s warnings follow a string of such alerts across the summer. Similar pleas to motorists were issued by other states, with car owners in Colorado also urged to temporarily avoid driving gas- and diesel-powered vehicles and refrain from visiting gas stations because emissions can worsen air quality. Officials in Indiana and Alabama have also turned their sights on road users as they attempt to tackle the problem of pollution and poor air quality.
“Ozone in the air we breathe can harm our health, especially on hot sunny days when ozone can reach unhealthy levels,” the Environmental Protection Agency said on its website. “People at greatest risk of harm from breathing air containing ozone include people with asthma.”
The National Weather Service publicized Tuesday’s Ozone Action Day in its daily roundup of warnings and advisories on Monday. Commuters were asked to walk or cycle to their destinations, travel in car-shares, and—if they must use their vehicles—avoid leaving their engines idling, which occurs when customers use drive-through lanes.
“Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone pollution in the Houston, Galveston, and surrounding areas on Tuesday,” the NWS said. “You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a ride, walking, riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive through lanes, conserving energy and keeping your vehicle properly tuned.”
The NWS also issued air-quality warnings for various other areas across the U.S. on Monday.
Parts of California, including Coachella and Palm Springs, were warned to expect poor air quality “due to increased particle pollution from blowing dust,” although that was expected to subside by 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The state has been hit with wildfires, and residents of San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys were advised to stay indoors until 11 p.m. on Monday because of “fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke in the region.”
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