Some of the air in northeast Oklahoma remains unhealthy for those with certain kinds of breathing challenges.
That’s why the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality issued another ozone alert for the Tulsa metropolitan area for Friday, June 16, 2023. This alert will initiate the issuance of an “Ozone Alert Day” for the Tulsa area by the Indian Nations Council of Governments.
This ozone alert is a prediction that concentrations of ozone will approach levels of concern over the next 24 hours. Sensitive individuals should plan accordingly. When these levels are reached, an Air Quality Health Advisory will be issued. Health Advisories are notifications that levels of ozone have reached unhealthy levels. They are based on near real time monitoring values.
Persons with lung or heart disease should be aware that increased pollution may cause them to experience adverse health effects. Ozone affects people differently. Unhealthy levels of ozone can cause throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, increased susceptibility to respiratory infection and aggravation of asthma and other respiratory ailments.
These symptoms are worsened by exercise and heavy activity. Learn your limits. Children, older adults and people with underlying lung diseases, such as asthma, are at particular risk of suffering from these effects. As ozone levels increase, the number of people affected and the severity of the health effects also increase.
Source: DEQ