As summer approaches, concerns about air quality and ozone levels become more prevalent. Thanks to advancements in technology, individuals can now monitor air quality using smartphones and local weather forecasts.
Dr. Tracey Holloway, a professor of energy analysis and policy at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has been studying air quality for years. She leads a team at NASA that uses satellite data to provide valuable information on air quality and public health. Dr. Holloway emphasizes the importance of understanding different chemicals in the air and how they can impact human health, especially respiratory diseases like asthma.
Factors contributing to poor air quality in southeast Texas include ozone pollution from transportation, wildfire smoke, factory emissions, and Saharan dust. The federal government uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to measure air quality, with green indicating good conditions, yellow for moderate, orange for unhealthy for sensitive groups, red for unhealthy conditions, purple or maroon indicating even more hazardous conditions.
In severe cases of air pollution, it has been linked to shorter life expectancies, exacerbation of heart disease, adverse birth outcomes and other negative health effects. Dr. Holloway recommends staying indoors during days with poor air quality and utilizing indoor air filtration systems to reduce exposure to harmful particles.
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