If you've been grappling with breathlessness or irritation in your throat lately, the culprit could be invisible but impactful: ground-level ozone. Pima County's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) might not be a household name, but their work is crucial in keeping residents informed about the levels of this gas which, despite its protective role high in the skies, poses health risks when it hugs the earth's surface. According to Pima County, DEQ has waved red flags with 12 ozone warnings since April, the latest of which was just last month.
The genesis of ground-level ozone is a tale of human impact clashing with nature's mechanics. As Natalie Shepp, an environmental quality manager at DEQ, told Pima County Newsroom, "In the upper atmosphere, ozone is a good thing because it’s protecting us from UV radiation," but on terra firma, the story is starkly different. Here, ozone is chiefly a human-made issue, the product of pollutants from vehicles, industries, and other sources reacting with sunlight.
DEQ's vigilance over air quality is a 24/7 affair, with 15 monitoring sites across the county tracking ozone levels around the clock. When these figures approach or exceed the EPA's standard of 0.071 parts per million (ppm), it's a signal that the air we're breathing could do more harm than good, especially to groups such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions. "These analyzers run 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Mike Draper, data monitoring manager at DEQ, demonstrating the department's commitment to health and safety.
Unraveling the why behind day-to-day fluctuations in ozone metrics is complex and often elusive due to the interplay of variables like sunlight hours and cloud cover, as indicated by Shepp. However, actions by individuals can play a role in mitigating these effects, such as opting for electric over gas-powered lawn equipment, not idling cars, and refueling after dusk. "We don’t really have control over ozone because that’s a natural phenomenon," Shepp said, "But we do have control over emissions," as stated by Pima County.
As ozone season persists until September, staying informed is key, which is why DEQ is proactive in broadcasting alerts to the public. All the data, which are also submitted to the EPA, remain accessible to anyone interested via the department's website.
