Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Clark County issues air quality advisory, with nod to ozone effects

It’s that time of year again.

Officials have issued an air quality advisory, effective through Sept. 30, related to ground-level ozone in Southern Nevada.

Weather conditions and pollutants could trigger a buildup of ground-level ozone, which can cause urban smog during the hottest months of the year, according to the Clark County Department of Air Quality.

No unhealthy levels of ozone pollution have been reported at this time, officials said.

Ozone, a gas that occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere, protects the earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Strong sunlight, hot temperatures and pollutants from vehicles and wildfires cause a buildup of ground-level ozone during the afternoon hours.

Ground-level ozone can reduce lung function and worsen respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis, officials said. Healthy people also can experience coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

To reduce the formation of ground-level ozone, officials suggested:

Fill gas tanks after sunset.

Don’t spill gasoline when filling up and don’t top off the tank.

Run errands in one trip.

Don’t unnecessarily idle car engines.

Consider low-maintenance landscaping that doesn’t require gas-powered lawn tools to maintain.

Turn off lights and electronics when not in use.

Air quality conditions will be posted in the monitoring section of the Department of Air Quality’s website.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy