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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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California officials are warning people in Imperial County to delay visiting gas stations and using chemicals until ozone levels improve.
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On Wednesday morning, the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District issued an air-quality alert because of high levels of ozone, also known as smog. The alert is set to expire on Thursday at 8 p.m. local time. Officials suggested that to help minimize the pollution, people should delay trips to the gas station and refrain from using household chemicals until evening hours, when the air quality has improved.
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Imperial County is also facing "dangerously hot conditions," according to the National Weather Service. An excessive-heat warning has been issued and is set to remain in place until Friday evening.
Air quality changes depending on the time of day and weather conditions, the NWS said. However, there are factors that contribute to unusually high and persistent levels of ozone pollution, including "increased emissions of chemicals and faster ozone formation rates due to heat, along with low winds and stagnant weather," the agency said.
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"Elevated levels of ozone—the predominant summertime pollutant—are likely to result in poor air quality in the afternoon and early-evening hours," the alert said on the NWS website. "Ozone air pollution can cause respiratory health problems, including trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and lung damage. Children, older adults, and people with asthma or COPD may be more sensitive to the health effects of ozone."
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The alert added that residents could conserve electricity by setting their air conditioners to a higher temperature and limiting the use of gasoline-powered equipment, such as lawn mowers.
Newsweek has contacted the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District for comment by email.
An excessive-heat warning issued for the county said: "Afternoon temperatures 106 to 113. Major Heat Risk. Overexposure can cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion to develop and, without intervention, can lead to heat stroke."
Ted Whittock, a meteorologist at the NWS, told Newsweek that the excessive heat was contributing to the ozone pollution.
"When we have these high temperatures, everyone is running their air conditioning and putting quite a strain on the electric grid," he said. "We have power plants that have to run at a higher capacity so things like that can contribute to pollution and the generation of ozone. High temperatures also are correlated with generation of ozone at the surface."
As of 7 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday, the air quality was good in Imperial County, although conditions were expected to change throughout the day. Whittock said the highest temperatures would arrive around 3 p.m.
Updated on 06/07/2024 at 9.46 a.m. with addition of county to headline
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