Ozone levels make it harder for some to breathe.Byline: Diane Dietz The Register-Guard After a seven-year respite, smog-producing ozone is tainting Lane County air again during these dog days of summer. Climbing ozone levels crossed the line from "moderate" to "unhealthy for sensitive individuals" by 2 p.m. Thursday at the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority's three monitoring sites. It's the second time this summer that the levels have climbed into unhealthy territory. The first time was on July 27. And with 90 degree temperatures forecast for today and Saturday, the cities - and their downwind down·wind adv. In the direction in which the wind blows. down  wind rural communities - may be in for more
ozone.
"You have to have a certain set of conditions - high 90s, slow wind speeds in the afternoon," said Merlyn Hough n. 1. Same as Hock, a joint. v. t. 1. Same as Hock, to hamstring. [ imp. & p. p. os> r>; p. pr. & vb. n. os> n. 1. An adz; a hoe. v. t. 1. To cut with a hoe. , acting executive director at the air pollution authority. The air agency is recommending that people with lung conditions - asthma, emphysema emphysema (ĕmfĭsē`mə), pathological or physiological enlargement or overdistention of the air sacs of the lungs. A major cause of pulmonary insufficiency in chronic cigarette smokers, emphysema is a progressive disease that commonly and chronic bronchitis chronic bronchitis n. Inflammation of the bronchial mucous membrane, characterized by cough, hypersecretion of mucus, and expectoration of sputum over a long period of time and associated with increased vulnerability to bronchial infection. - avoid the outdoors from midafternoon until sunset each night, when ozone levels fall. Ozone, an invisible compound, irritates lungs and impairs breathing. "For athletes that like to go for long runs or long bike rides, the morning is a better time to do that this time of year," Hough said. Ozone is formed in the presence of sunlight, from hydrocarbons that come from such things as evaporating gasoline or drying paint, plus nitrogen oxide Noun 1. nitrogen oxide - any of several oxides of nitrogen formed by the action of nitric acid on oxidizable materials; present in car exhausts pollutant - waste matter that contaminates the water or air or soil from combustion. Ozone is the major component of smog, which is the reddish-yellow haze that hangs over big cities. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. endured unhealthy levels of ozone on 65 days last year. Bakersfield had 103 days. Eugene-Springfield had zero unhealthy ozone days last year. The most recent year with heightened ozone levels here was 1998, when there were two bad days. The wind carries ozone for miles. Lane County's highest readings are often at Saginaw, 18 miles south of Eugene-Springfield. Similarly, Salem suffers from Portland's ozone production. People wanting to do their part against the pollution should take a siesta during the hot hours of the day instead of gas-producing activities, such as mowing mow 1 n. 1. The place in a barn where hay, grain, or other feed is stored. 2. A stack of hay or other feed stored in a barn. their lawns, ferrying the kids across town or slathering oil-based paint on their backyard fences. "Cars are significant, but industries are significant and individual activities are significant, too," Hough said. "All the paints and coating that both people and business use are part of it." KNOW ZONE The Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority provides hour-by-hour ozone readings on its Web site. Go to mdas.lrapa.org/ Select "ozone 30-day history" from the drop-down menu See pull-down menu. drop-down menu - pull-down menu . See readings from LRAPA's Amazon Park, Coburg and Saginaw air monitoring stations. |
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