Air quality alerts have been issued across much of the Chicago area, with officials warning some people to limit their time outside and asking others to change their plans for driving, using air conditioning and powering certain equipment at specific times.
The alerts were issued just before 12 p.m. for parts of northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. They remain in effect through Tuesday evening.
Counties included in the alerts are McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Kendall, Grundy, Cook and Will in Illinois, along with Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper in northwest Indiana.
According to the alerts, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management have issued an Air Pollution Action Day for Tuesday.
“An Air Pollution Action Day is declared when weather conditions are such that widespread ozone and or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category of the Air Quality Index for multiple days,” the message from the National Weather Service stated. “Active children and adults, especially people with pulmonary or respiratory disease such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor activity.”
In addition to limiting outdoor activity for sensitive individuals, officials are also asking residents to reduce pollution levels.
Some of the requests include:
Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation. Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip. Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7pm. Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds. Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above.As of 12:30 p.m. Monday, Chicago’s air quality sat under the “moderate” level, which could post a risk for particularly sensitive individuals, with PM2.5 levels sitting at 64. Once levels reach above 100 they’ll enter the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category.
The air quality alerts come as NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said temperatures Monday and lasting through the entire work week will be in the 80s and 90s. Dew point temperatures however, Roman said, won’t make things feel as sweltering as they did at the end of June.
“The heat index will make our ‘feels like temperature’ still feel a couple degrees hotter,” Roman said. “What’s missing is that extreme moisture.”
What is the Air Quality Index?
According to officials, the Air Quality Index, or the AQI, is used by the Environmental Protection Agency to communicate to the public air quality levels, and how they can impact day-to-day life.
To check the air quality level in your area right now, click here.
There are six different levels of air quality, and they’re all color-coded to illustrate changes in quality and how they impact residents.
Typically, anything above 100 is considered to be hazardous to at least some groups, and anything over 150 is considered to be “unhealthy,” posing issues to the general public.
The six categories include: green, or good; yellow, or moderate; orange, or unhealthy for sensitive groups; red, or unhealthy; purple, or very unhealthy; and maroon, or hazardous.
Daily AQI ColorLevels of ConcernValues of IndexDescription of Air QualityGreenGood0 to 50Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.YellowModerate51 to 100Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.OrangeUnhealthy for Sensitive Groups101 to 150Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.RedUnhealthy151 to 200Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.PurpleVery Unhealthy201 to 300Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.MaroonHazardous301 and higherHealth warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.How to find the air quality level in your area
AirNow provides a tool for residents to search their ZIP code to see what their forecasted air quality is, both in real time and for the days ahead.
For a more granular look, the website also offers information on different measurement stations around the area in real-time, allowing residents to track air quality in areas near their homes.
Hence then, the article about air quality alerts issued across chicago area which counties are included was published today ( ) and is available on NBC Chicago ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Air quality alerts issued across Chicago area. Which counties are included )
Also on site :
- 1977's Biggest Tearjerker, Sung By a TV Star, Named One of the Saddest Songs of the Decade
- A Minimalist Carry-On Packing List for Women Over 70
- ‘A Social Contract’: Astin Plays A Senator In First Trailer For Political Survival Thriller, Release Date Set