Air Quality Alert in effect. What is it and when will it become more common?

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has issued an Ozone Action Day, also known as an Air Quality Alert, for the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Thursday.

Air Quality Alerts are also in effect in other major Texas cities such as Austin, San Antonio, and Houston.

The government designed Air Quality Alerts to communicate to the public on how much pollution there is in the lower levels of our atmosphere, the air we breathe. They will become more common across North Texas as we head into the summer months.

An Air Quality Alert is issued when there is a high level of pollutants, such as ozone, near the surface that can potentially affect your health. Ozone at the surface is harmful to your lungs and health, and breathing it can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory issues. The elderly and very young are most at risk.

Ozone in the upper levels of our atmosphere helps protect us from harmful rays from the sun. This is good ozone.

Pollution from ozone occurs when oxide nitrogen gasses and chemical reactions from volatile organic compounds mix together. Sunlight and heat help to combine oxide nitrogen gasses and volatile organic compounds together forming smog. Cars, trucks, and factories are all big contributors to ozone pollution.

You can do your part in preventing pollution by carpooling, walking, riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive-through lanes, conserving energy, and keeping your vehicle properly tuned.