The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality is issuing an air quality advisory due to elevated levels of smoke and ground-level ozone.

The smoke from the New Mexico fires and the heat and relatively calm winds are causing high levels of air pollution in the form of particulate matter and ozone this afternoon.

Particulate matter is made up of the tiny specks of soot, dust, and aerosols that are suspended in the air we breathe. Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions from many sources, including cars and trucks, combine together in the presence of intense sunlight and heat.

Individuals who are especially sensitive to air pollution may experience shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation, wheezing and breathing discomfort. If you go outside, you should reduce your level of exertion to decrease the amount of particulates you breathe into your lungs.

It is possible that ozone and smoke levels may be elevated tomorrow, as well, if weather conditions are similar.

Actions to reduce the production of ground level ozone:

• Reduce driving; combine errands into one trip.
• Ride the bus, walk or share a ride with friends and family.
• Avoid idling your vehicle’s engine.  It wastes gas and causes air pollution.
• During the summer, refuel your car after 6 p.m. when fumes are less likely to form ozone.
• While refueling, always stop at the click.
• Make sure your gas cap is tightly sealed after refueling.
• Avoid using gas-powered lawn and gardening equipment.
• Check your tire pressure monthly to reduce gasoline use and associated pollution.
• Conserve electricity to reduce emissions from power plants.

PDEQ monitors air pollution in our region at 18 different air quality monitoring sites. Up-to-the-hour air pollution levels are available online at the PDEQ website www.AirInfoNow.org or by calling the PDEQ hotline at (520) 882-4AIR.

The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) is issuing a smoke advisory due to smoke from wildfires burning in New Mexico. People living in the area who are sensitive to smoke are urged to take appropriate precautions if they smell smoke.

Individuals with respiratory or heart disease and the elderly may experience respiratory symptoms.  If individuals are sensitive to particulate pollution, they may want to reduce their exposure to outside air.

This advisory will be in effect while current conditions persist.

Typical symptoms related to short-term smoke exposure can include itchy eyes, coughing, and upper-airway irritation. Other possible health effects are headache, dizziness and nausea.

People with conditions such as asthma or other respiratory problems should:

• avoid exposure to smoke
• reduce level of exertion when in smoky areas
• close doors and windows
• use air conditioning rather than evaporative cooling

PDEQ monitors air pollution in our region at 18 air-quality monitoring sites. Up-to-the-hour air pollution levels are available online at the PDEQ website www.airinfonow.org or by calling the PDEQ hotline at (520) 882-4AIR.

Pima County, Ariz. (Nov. 29, 2011) – Wood burning fireplaces can be a pleasant source of warmth and comfort in winter months but for some people, burning wood in a fireplace can literally take their breath away.

Wood smoke contains hundreds of chemical compounds and some of them can harm people with heart or respiratory disease, babies and young children and pregnant women.

Pollutants in wood smoke can cause the eyes, nose and throat to burn with irritation, and cause headache and nausea in some people.

Walking in neighborhoods where fireplace smoke is heavy can cause irregular heart beat, chest pain and shortness of breath in susceptible people.

The smoke can make asthma symptoms worse and cause higher rates of lung inflammation and pneumonia in young children in homes where wood-burning fireplaces are used.

Also, unless chimneys are cleaned seasonally, creosote, a combustible byproduct of wood burning, can lodge in the chimney and spark a fire.

Fireplaces aren’t efficient home heaters.

Most homes aren’t perfectly insulated, so cold air seeps in under doors and through cracks, while the hot air escapes up the chimney.

If flues are not properly installed and maintained, particles released during wood burning can escape into the home.

The Environmental Protection Agency says several of the pollutants emitted by wood burning have demonstrated cancer-causing properties similar to cigarette smoke.

To reduce the risk of harm from using a wood-burning fireplace, follow these tips:

• Burn hardwoods like oak, mesquite and pecan instead of soft woods like cedar, fir or pine. The wood should be split, and dried for at least six months.
• Use smaller pieces of wood. They burn more efficiently and are a better source of heat.
• Allow enough room inside the fireplace for air to circulate freely around the wood.
• Never burn plastics, painted wood, charcoal, printed pages in a fireplace. They will release toxic materials into the air.
• Check your chimney from the outside. If you see smoke, your fire is not burning hot enough. Give the fire more air, and then check again.
• Check before you light a fire to see if local air pollution levels are elevated. If they are, avoid using the fireplace on those days, if possible. Get pollution information at www.airinfonow.org or call (520) 882-4347.
• Remember, if you can smell smoke, you are breathing smoke!