BE AIR AWARE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DESIGNATED MAY 2
THROUGH MAY 6 AS THE ANNUAL NATIONAL AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK. LOW
QUALITY AIR CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING WHEN
BREATHED. SO BEING INFORMED OF THE PRESENCE OF LOW QUALITY AIR
ALLOWS ONE TO TAKE PROPER PRECAUTIONS AND INCLUDE PREVENTIVE
MEASURES IN THEIR DAILY ACTIVITIES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS
PARTNERED WITH THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO KEEP YOU
INFORMED OF THE PRESENCE OF POLLUTION...OZONE...OR PARTICULATE
MATTER IN THE AIR SURROUNDING YOU. OUR NWS AIR QUALITY PROGRAM GOAL
IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AIR QUALITY FORECASTS WITH ENOUGH ACCURACY
AND ADVANCE NOTICE SO YOU CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS DURING YOUR
DAILY ACTIVITIES WHICH CAN PREVENT OR REDUCE ADVERSE EFFECTS. IN THE
EVENT OF LOW QUALITY AIR WITHIN OUR AREA...AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY
WILL BE ISSUED BY THE ILLINOIS EPA...WWW.EPA.STATE.IL.US...AND...OR
THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT...WWW.IN.GOV/IDEM...WHICH WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE PUBLIC
BY THE CHICAGO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE.
EACH DAY OF AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK WILL FEATURE A UNIQUE
TOPIC RELEVANT TO EDUCATION AND PREPAREDNESS.

TODAY WE HIGHLIGHT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF POOR AIR QUALITY.

YOU ARE EXPOSED TO AIRBORNE CONTAMINATION EVERY TIME YOU BREATHE
POLLUTED AIR. BUT WHEN YOU EXERCISE...WORK IN THE YARD...OR DO OTHER
STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE YOU BREATHE HARDER AND FASTER...YOU
INHALE EVEN MORE POLLUTED AIR INTO YOUR LUNGS.

EXPOSURE TO HIGH LEVELS OF OZONE AND PARTICLE POLLUTION IS LINKED
WITH A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT HEALTH PROBLEMS. CHILDREN...PEOPLE
WITH LUNG DISEASE...OLDER ADULTS...AND PEOPLE WITH HEART DISEASE TEND
TO BE MORE VULNERABLE. WHEN POLLUTION REACHES HIGH ENOUGH LEVELS...
THE AIR CAN BE UNHEALTHY FOR EVERYONE...ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ACTIVE
OUTDOORS. YOU CAN HELP PROTECT YOURSELF SIMPLY BY CHANGING THE TIME
OR INTENSITY OF YOUR ACTIVITIES.

USE THE AIR QUALITY INDEX AND DAILY AIR QUALITY FORECASTS TO HELP YOU
DETERMINE WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE CHANGES. THE AIR QUALITY INDEX IS A
COLOR CODED SCALE THAT TELLS YOU WHO NEEDS TO TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE
EXPOSURE TO OZONE OR PARTICLE POLLUTION. LOCAL AIR QUALITY FORECASTS
ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.AIRNOW.GOV.

USE AIR QUALITY FORECAST GUIDANCE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/AQ TO FIND MAP
PROJECTIONS OF WHEN AND WHERE THE AIR YOU BREATHE IS EXPECTED TO HAVE
HIGH AMOUNTS OF POLLUTANTS. ONCE AGAIN...FOR AIR QUALITY FORECAST
GUIDANCE GO TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/AQ.

TOMORROW WE WILL LEARN ABOUT TOOLS TO HELP YOU GET AIR QUALITY
INFORMATION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK...VISIT US ON THE
WORLD WIDE WEB AT WWW.AIRQUALITY.NOAA.GOV.