Air quality ‘action day’ in Philadelphia due to potential unhealthy pollution levels
Anyone else have trouble seeing the skyline this morning because of the thick haze draped over Philadelphia? There’s a reason for that. Health & Science reporter Carolyn Beeler shared with us a notice from the DEP.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared today an “air quality action day,” and the Susquehanna Valley, Lehigh Valley/Berks and Philadelphia regions are all at code orange ozone levels. That signifies “unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people.”
Not sure if you’re sensitive? The young, old and those with respiratory problems are at the highest risk, so limit the outdoor activities. The high temps combined with pollution from vehicles, industry, households and power plants forms ground-level ozone and makes it hard for some people to breathe, resulting in today’s code orange.
It’s not quite time to panic; red is the next and highest alert, meaning there are unhealthy pollution levels for everyone.
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