INDIANAPOLIS — An Air Quality Action Day has been declared for much of Central Indiana on Tuesday by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management due to a forecast of high ozone levels.
Residents in the following counties are encouraged to help reduce ozone: Marion, Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan and Shelby County.
You can help reduce ozone by making the following changes, per IDEM, to your daily habits:
- 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 7 p.m.
- 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
When ozone levels are high, anyone sensitive to changes in the air quality may be affected. Children, the elderly and anyone with heart or lung disease should reduce or avoid exertion and heavy work outdoors.
According to IDEM, ground-level ozone is formed when sunlight and hot weather back vehicle exhaust, factory emissions and gasoline vapors. Ozone near the ground is a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties.
