What is Ozone?

The ozone that develops at ground level is created by a chemical reaction between emissions and weather conditions. The emissions contain volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides that are combined with sunlight to produce the ozone. The combined emissions “bake” in sunlight 4-6 hours before converting to ozone gas. Ground level ozone is the primary component of urban smog.

What are the AQI Watches and Warning and what happened to the Ozone Alerts?

For the first time in Texas, the D/FW area will not only be promoting tips for ozone prevention, but the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality "TCEQ", along with local partners, will publicize and issue Air Pollution Warnings. The Warnings will go beyond the former Ozone Action Day notice, which predicted when ozone levels might exceed federal standards, as a prevention measure. TCEQ will issue health warnings via e-mail when pollution levels are determined to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's criteria for possible health risks. The process will use standard weather terms: Air Pollution Watch, Air Pollution Warning.

An "Air Pollution Watch" will be issued for a day predicted to be a public health risk. If air pollution levels actually reach unhealthy levels based on monitor readings, the TCEQ will automatically issue an "Air Pollution Warning" via e-mail from the TCEQ's Austin headquarters to local authorities, news organizations, and interested citizens within approximately 30 minutes after ozone measurements reach unhealthy levels. The messages will be publicized through colors: level orange, level red, level purple, level maroon, with maroon being the worst. Click on the AQI icon directly above this section for more information on the colors and their associated health risk.

What does the AQI chart look like?

AQI	Air Quality	Color
0 - 50	Good
51 - 100	Moderate
101 - 150	Unhealthy for sensitive groups
151 - 200	Unhealthy
201 - 300	Very Unhealthy
301 +	Hazardous

Each category and color corresponds to a different level of health concern. The six levels of health concern and what they mean are:

• "Good" The AQI value for your community is between 0 and 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
• "Moderate" The AQI for your community is between 51 and 100. Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.
• "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" When AQI values are between 101 and 150, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. This means they are likely to be affected at lower levels than the general public. For example, people with lung disease are at greater risk from exposure to ozone, while people with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to particle pollution. The general public is not likely to be affected when the AQI is in this range.
• "Unhealthy" Everyone may begin to experience health effects when AQI values are between 151 and 200. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
• "Very Unhealthy" AQI values between 201 and 300 trigger a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects.
• "Hazardous" AQI values over 300 trigger health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

What are the health effects associated with ozone?

The level at which unhealthy side effects occur for ozone is 85 parts per billion, however each individual can have their own tolerance level for ozone exposure. Even healthy adults can develop lung damage from elevated ozone concentrations. The respiratory symptoms associated with lower levels of ozone exposure are generally more notable in the elderly, the young, and the immune challenged. The symptoms associated with high levels of ozone include:

What are the costs associated with respiratory health problems?

• The estimated health cost of human exposure to outdoor air pollutants is $50 billion a year.
• An estimated 50,000 to 120,000 premature deaths are associated with exposure to air pollutants.
• People with asthma experience more than 100 million days of restrictive activity annually, costing $4 billion a year.
• Death rates for asthma are up over 40 percent in the past few years.

What are the sources of ozone?

In the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, the primary source of ozone generating emissions comes from the automobiles we use every day for commutes to work, school, or trips to the local market.

Are businesses working to reduce ozone?

Most industries purchased and installed expensive pollution control devices years ago when federal regulations required increased control measures. Several large employers are assigning employee transportation coordinators to implement voluntary ozone reduction strategies like carpooling, flexible work schedules, and trip reduction plans. Small and large business alike have already felt the economic pressures associated with past regulations and do not want to operate under more stringent federal guidelines. Increased sanctions could potentially reduce economic growth, limit company's current production or raise the cost of doing business in the metroplex.

To schedule a presentation for your civic or school group or for more information on our region’s air quality please contact Sam Adamie at 817-321-4960.

More information about Ozone in Tarrant County:

• Where is the Ozone in Tarrant County? 

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Of all your daily activities, driving a car or truck is probably the single most polluting thing you do. But if you’re a typical Texan, sliding behind the wheel of your motor vehicle is something you do just about everyday, several times a day. And the consequences of all that driving is serious. Motor vehicles also emit large amounts of carbon dioxide and a number of air toxins such as benzene. Air toxins can cause serious health problems, including cancer.

In the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, motor vehicle emissions account for 56 percent of the ozone forming precursors and are the single greatest contributors to ground-level ozone. Ozone pollution causes respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, and can lead to permanent lung damage.

You can drive cleaner by making the most of your traveling options. Mass transit, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, telecommuting and alternative work schedules are all ways to help reduce motor vehicle emissions by reducing single-occupancy vehicles. This is important because Americans drive more than two trillion miles per year, a figure that is double what it was 20 years ago and still on the rise. If we want to protest the quality of our air and our health, we must make major changes in the vehicles we drive and in our driving habits.

Mass Transit

You can make a significant difference by riding mass transit instead of driving alone. For instance, one person using mass transit for a year instead of driving to work can keep an average of 9.1 pounds of hydrocarbons, 62.5 pounds of carbon monoxide and 4.9 pounds of nitrogen oxides from being discharged into the air. A high concentration of these elements can be harmful to our health.

Carpooling

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If mass transit is not available, carpooling is another option. Carpooling is easy and the most common way of ridesharing. A carpool consists of two to six people sharing a ride in a private vehicle. Just boosting the occupancy of vehicles during rush hour from one person to a two-person carpool would save 40 million gallons of gasoline a day nationwide (or more than 15 percent of the U.S. gasoline consumption), while reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

Here’s how carpooling cuts vehicle emissions: Suppose 100 employees who normally drive 20 miles round-trip to work (10 miles each way) decide to commute in pairs instead of driving alone. In two weeks' time, their choice would eliminate 10,000 miles of vehicle travel. They would save 75 pounds of hydrocarbons, 30 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 550 pounds of carbon monoxide, 9900 pounds of carbon dioxide, and 500 gallons of gasoline.

Vanpooling

Vanpooling consist of seven to fifteen passengers sharing a van with convenient pick-up and destination point. A primary driver volunteers to do all the driving, with back up drivers available, if needed. The remaining individuals are charged a fee. In Tarrant County's case our employees van fee is subsidized to reduce their cost.

Bicycling, Walking and Telecommuting

Bicycling and walking are an inexpensive and environmentally sound alternatives to motor vehicles. Each work related trip represents a 100 percent drop in vehicle emissions.

Telecommuting allows employees to either stay at home or travel to a satellite work center located closer to home than the primary worksite. Telecommuting is the transporting of information rather than individuals. It is important to understand that telecommuting does not necessarily require computers or advanced technology. Telecommuting is generally a part-time arrangement that is utilized two to three times a week by an employee. If you telecommuted from home two or three days a week, or tried to work an alternative workweek, you could save up to three weeks' worth of driving time a year.

How much can I save?

The American Automobile Association estimates that it cost you 41.8 cent per mile to operate your car or truck. Based on this, by ridesharing everyday with a round-trip commute of 20 miles, you can save up to $167 a month on gas, insurance, parking fees, and wear and tear on your vehicle. Additionally, your insurance premiums could go down as much as 20 percent by designating your automobile for pleasure-use only. Also, don't forget that the resale value of your automobile will be much higher because the vehicle will have fewer miles on the odometer.

Alternative work schedules

Flextime, compressed workweeks, and staggered work hours are all alternative work schedules because the individual’s hours vary from the regular 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. workday. Alternative work schedules benefit air quality by reducing vehicle trips and/or rush-hour congestion.

Flextime allows employees to arrive earlier or later, so long as they work 40 hours per week. Some employers establish a core workday, such as 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., so that all employees would be expected to be in the office during these hours.

Compressed workweeks allow employees to spread their required work hours over fewer days per week. This reduces the number of trips to the worksite, while allowing employees to take the remaining time off.

Staggered work hours alter employees' starting and ending time in ranges of fifteen minutes to two hours. This moves some employees out of the peak morning and afternoon commuting period.

Vehicle maintenance and good driving hints

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All vehicles, new or old, require regular maintenance. Check your owner's manual to determine exactly what should be done and how often, since many newer vehicles require less frequent maintenance than older vehicles. Additionally, be aware of maintenance requirements under the manufacturer's warranty.

Performing regular tune-ups is the best way to keep your car or truck running efficiently. Typically, a tune-up might include the replacement of the air filter, fuel filter, hoses, belts, spark plugs, oil filter and other fluids. Additionally, items that should be checked and/or replaced regularly throughout the life of your vehicle include: tires, fuel injection system, brakes, transmission and the emission control systems.

The improper functioning of any of these parts or systems can result in loss of fuel economy. The use of more fuel than necessary or improper fuel combustion will lead to additional emissions coming from your vehicle.

You can significantly reduce pollution from your car or truck by driving less; improving your driving habits; making sure your vehicle is well-maintained; and, if you’re thinking of buying a used vehicle making sure its emission-control system is running properly.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

During driving:

• Reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled. This is the most effective strategy in lowering vehicle emissions. It includes car pooling/van pooling, telecommuting, riding public transportation and planning ahead to combine trips.
• Avoid excessive idling. Idling for more than 30 seconds burns more gas than it takes to restart the engine.
• Avoid drive-through windows, take advantage of staggered work schedules and drive during off-peak traffic hours.
• Avoid drag. Remove heavy items from your vehicle when possible and avoid carrying items on the roof. The drag created by excess weight can reduce your fuel efficiency.
• Do not “top off” your gas tank. This leads to additional evaporative emissions, or even spills.

During maintenance:

• Perform routine maintenance according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Replace oil and filters at recommended times, using an energy-saving grade of motor oils (labeled EC or Energy Conserving). You might be surprised to learn that the emissions from one poorly maintained vehicle can equal those from 25 properly functioning vehicles!
• Don’t tamper with your vehicle’s emission controls and be sure to get your vehicle inspected annually.
• Pay attention to a loss in fuel economy. This usually signals an increase in emissions.
• Watch for signals from your vehicle’s tailpipe that your car or truck may be running inefficiently. Black smoke means there is too much gas in the air-fuel mixture and the fuel injection system should be checked. Blue smoke means the engine is burning oil and too many hydrocarbons are being released.
• Pay attention to dashboard lights that warn of engine problems. Newer vehicles are equipped with on board diagnostic equipment - under-the-hood computers with dashboard displays - altering drivers to malfunctioning emission control equipment. Travel at steady speeds. Acceleration causes more emissions.
• Keep your tires properly inflated to ensure maximum fuel efficiency.
• Check your vehicle’s wheel alignment and adjust as necessary. Incorrect alignment can waste fuel.
• Make sure that your gas cap fits properly. This helps prevent gasoline vapors from escaping into the air.