California Spare The Air Alert Begins May 1st

California, USA — May 1st is the beginning of the annual Spare the Air season in the Sacramento region. In this area Sacramento Metropolitan, El Dorado, Feather River, Placer, Yorosorano Air District..

The season is from May 1st to October 31st. During this time, a spare air alert will be issued if the surface ozone air quality index (AQI) is predicted to be 126 or higher.

Jamie Arno of the Sacramento Air Quality Control District (SAQMD) states that the spare air season is a driving reduction program, as 70% of ozone pollution is caused by cars and trucks.

Spare Air Alert Day is a useful way to know when ozone levels are a concern. Consider carpooling, transit, and even walking or riding an electric scooter to keep the air quality clean.

Ozone is produced by the sun’s ultraviolet rays reacting with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to form surface ozone. Sources of VOCs and NOx are automobiles, trucks, buses and construction / agricultural machinery.

The weather patterns from May to October are mostly stable, with weak winds, low cloud cover and little rain. This helps promote ozone pollution.

During the day, most factors come together to help produce ozone. Contamination from the coast is carried towards the valley and tends to “get stuck”, mainly due to the light westward flow. The mid-altitude of the valley is warmer than the ground and causes a reversal. This warm air acts like a blanket over the area, minimizing vertical mixing.

Weak low-level winds settle in valleys because they are not strong enough to disperse pollutants properly or push them further west across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Poor air quality peaks in the afternoon and evening hours, with daytime heat and an increase in vehicles on the road.

High levels of surface ozone can lead to health problems, especially in the elderly, children and people with respiratory disabilities. Wheezing, coughing, malaise, headaches and nausea are all side effects of poor air quality.

Arno says he will continue to monitor particulate matter (PM) and wildfire smoke separately. It is a mixture of soot, smoke, metals, nitrates, sulfates, dust, water and even tire rubber. It can be the product of a wildfire or a reaction of a gas such as nitrogen oxides.

This type of contamination is especially dangerous because the particles are so small that they can move to the lungs and even the bloodstream. Long-term and short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) 2.5 can affect our health. Dyspnea, exacerbation of asthma, development of chronic respiratory disease in children, development of chronic bronchitis or lung disease, arrhythmia, non-fatal heart attack, and premature death of people with heart or lung disease.

An important sign to know when PM 2.5 is at stake is to see or smell smoke. When the conditions are right, it’s best to stay indoors.

According to Arno, SAQMD works closely with Sacramento County Public Health on wildfire smoke and PM2.5. She says they issue health recommendations when levels become an issue.

Wildfire smoke was particularly poor in the summer of 2020 due to the historic fire season. The wind helped carry smoke from the surrounding fire into the valley.

But last year’s shelter-in-place helped reduce surface ozone. According to Arno, few people were driving, so last year only one spare air alert was issued. This is below an average of 5-12 spare air alerts per year.

Air quality usually improves by November as the cool weather system passes through Northern California. Upper air movements and precipitation prevent pollutants from stagnation.

The Sacramento Region Air Quality app provides daily updates and ways to protect our health. It can be downloaded on both Android and Apple devices.

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