SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The recent heat coupled with the ozone pollution has created bad air quality in the region and prompted the first "Spare the Air Day" declaration of the year on Tuesday.
This year's campaign is focused on the individual actions each person can take and how it can make a big impact in the region.
For some, that could mean working from home one day per week. When you add up a hot summer day, several drivers on the road and little wind movement, the Sacramento area has the perfect recipe for the first "Spare the Air Day" of the year.
"The air quality concern is ground-level ozone pollutant. That is what is created when emissions from cars and trucks cook in the hot summer sun -also when there's a strong inversion layer and not enough wind to blow that pollution out," said Emily Allshouse, assistant communications and marketing specialist with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
The program is in partnership with the Sacramento air district and other air districts in the Sacramento region.
Allshouse described the Sacramento Valley as a bowl where pollutants tend to get trapped by clouds that act like a lid. It can cause a variety of respiratory issues.
"From coughing and wheezing, maybe some itchy eyes, but if you have asthma, you can be particularly affected. If you have heart and lung conditions, you might also be particularly affected. Children, pregnant women, elderly adults - all are in vulnerable populations," Allshouse said.
However, Anthony Wexler, the director of the Air Quality Research Center at UC Davis, says anyone can be impacted. He says, if possible, people should stay indoors and that it's not a good idea to exercise right now.
People are also asked not to drive their car and to instead try carpooling when possible.
"We also want to prevent an additional cause of concern from the environment. We don't want to see ground-level ozone rising for many days in a row because we can experience more serious health problems when we're exposed long-term," Allshouse said.
Allshouse says they do not expect to call a 'Spare the Air Day' tomorrow because they're expecting more wind in the area, but with this heat expected to continue, it is possible this will not be the last alert.
WATCH ALSO:
