An air quality alert has been issued for the Chicago area until midnight Monday and likely extending into Tuesday, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
“It doesn’t appear that conditions are going to improve enough to drop that,” said Kim Biggs, a spokesperson for the agency.
An air pollution action day has been declared, which happens when “widespread ozone or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the unhealthy for sensitive groups category of the air quality index,” according to the National Weather Service.
The air quality index for Monday lists ozone at orange, or unhealthy levels for sensitive groups. When that happens for two or more consecutive days, an air pollution action day is issued, Biggs said.
Ozone is caused by a reaction between pollutants in the air and the sunlight, and is more common in the summer due to higher temperatures, according to Biggs.
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“That is the pollutant of concern right now, even though we were seeing some impacts from the wildfires over the last week, and there still is some particulate in the area. The primary pollutant in the air is ozone,” she said.
Residents are encouraged to stay inside when air quality is worse. Ozone levels are usually lower in the morning, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Now website.
Those at higher risk include people with pulmonary or respiratory problems like asthma; children and teens; older adults; and people who are active outside for six or more hours a day. They are encouraged to shorten their outdoor time and choose less strenuous activities, the EPA says.
“Even if you don’t have pulmonary issues, if you’re doing a lot of outdoor activities, you might wanna just pay attention to the air quality and know that if you’re having trouble breathing ... take a break, go inside, try to cool off a bit and not have prolonged exposure,” Biggs said.
The rest of the week shows moderate particle pollution levels, so residents who are unusually sensitive are encouraged to reduce their outdoor time, according to the EPA’s Air Now website.
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Residents are also encouraged to help reduce pollution emissions. Vehicles are a major contributor, so the EPA asks residents to “limit their driving whenever possible, use energy-efficient products and keep their thermostats in check,” according to Biggs.
She also said that the Chicago area could expect smog in the air due to elevated ozone levels and particulate matter from the wildfires in the Western U.S.
In other weather news, Chicago residents can expect hot weather Monday, with highs in the low 90s. Downtown will be a little cooler because of an inland breeze.
Tuesday weather looks similar, with a low chance of early morning showers, said Jake Petr, a meteorologist with the weather service. Southwest winds will keep temperatures warmer near the lakeshore, with highs in the low 90s.
Wednesday night to Thursday morning may see showers and thunderstorms, and the weather is expected to trend cooler and drier later in the week and into the weekend, according to Petr.
Check back for updates.
mmokh@chicagotribune.com
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