RELEASE: Knozone Action Day for Monday Due to High-Ground Level Ozone, 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups'

People in Central Indiana with asthma, COPD, and many other diagnoses should avoid time spent outdoors Sunday, June 16 due to ground-level ozone forecast
 

INDIANAPOLIS—The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability is issuing a Knozone Action Day for sensitive groups (orange on the Air Quality Index, included below) for Sunday, June 16 as a high temperatures combined with light winds make conditions suitable for ozone development. Sensitive groups should remain indoors Sunday as much as possible. This is the first Knozone Action Day declared so far in 2024; there were 23 Knozone Action Days in 2023 - the most in recorded history.

Poor air quality impacts public health and environmental justice as vulnerable groups including children, older adults, pregnant people, outdoor laborers, and anyone suffering from asthma, COPD, emphysema, heart disease, or other conditions are at greater risk. 11% of Marion County adults suffer from asthma, and 7.5% suffer from COPD; meaning nearly 1 in 5 community members is at greater risk for severe symptoms due to poor air quality.

Community members can sign up for text or email alerts at smogwatch.in.gov [click.email.indy.gov] to be notified of unhealthy air days early. Knozone.com [click.email.indy.gov] and the EPA's AirNow website [click.email.indy.gov] and mobile app are other great resources for monitoring local air. Community members can also follow @SustainIndy on Facebook [click.email.indy.gov], X [click.email.indy.gov], and Instagram [click.email.indy.gov] for reminders about Knozone Action Days.

To protect residents and local air quality, the Office of Sustainability issues Knozone Action Days when levels of certain pollutants rise above acceptable thresholds. During Knozone Action Days, the air quality may become unhealthy for sensitive individuals due to increased ground-level ozone and/or fine particles -- two of the most common pollutants in the United States.

While the ozone layer high in the atmosphere helps protect us from the sun’s rays, ozone down where we breathe is dangerous for public health. Ground-level ozone is created when a chemical reaction occurs between sunlight and hydrocarbons from emission sources common in urban areas, like gas-powered vehicles and lawn mowers. Fine particulate matter (or PM2.5) refers to microscopic particles in the air, including dust and smoke, that we can inhale into our lungs and cause damage. This can even be caused by wildfires or dust clouds blowing from thousands of miles away.

Every day, and especially on Knozone Action Days, residents are encouraged to reduce their contribution to ground-level ozone through these simple actions:

  • Avoid vehicle idling, including when in drive-thru lanes or picking up carry-out

  • Drive less: use active forms of transportation like walking or biking (utilizing Pacers Bikeshare's IndyRides Free [click.email.indy.gov] pass!)

  • Utilize public transportation or carpool with services such as IndyGo [click.email.indy.gov] or Commuter Connect [click.email.indy.gov]

  • Wait to refuel and use gas-powered lawn equipment until temperatures are cooler

  • Combine errands to reduce number of trips

  • Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above

  • Delay use of garden, household, and workshop chemicals until air has returned to healthy levels

   

For more information on how to help improve Central Indiana’s air quality, visit https://knozone.com/actionday. [click.email.indy.gov]
 

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Lindsay Trameri