Smog Alert

The last couple of days I have traveled through Louisville, KY and to Cincinnati, OH for various reasons. Both cities had a smog alert the days that I drove through them. I decided to do some research into this subject. According to the Hamilton County Environmental Services, smog is used to describe air pollution that results from sunlight mixed with certain polluting chemicals in the environment.

The first main pol;uting chemical is ground level ozone. Ozone occurs naturally in the stratosphere layer of the sky. It helps protect the earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. When close to the ground it becomes a powerful pollutant because we breathe it into our lungs. It is especially harmful to the young and elderly as well as those suffering from respiratory diseases.


The second main pollutant is particulate matter which are such things as dust, soot, ash, other solids and aerosols. These particles can come from a variety of sources such as gasoline or diesel engines, factories, wood burning and power plants. They are invisible to the naked eye but can combine together to make clouds or fog-like haze.

Here are some suggestions from the website as well as some I have added which decrease air pollution. 


Ride the bus.

Carpooling
Riding a bike, walking or rollerblading instead of driving.
Avoiding use of gasoline powered lawn equipment.
Keeping your vehicle maintained.
Combining trips or eliminating unnecessary vehicle trips.
Do not top off when refueling.
Avoiding use of oil-based paints and stains.
Saving electricity.
Buying local products to cut down on product transportation pollution.

Even though you may not live in a major area where smog is a problem, everyone adds to the general air pollution problem. We all should follow these guidelines to cut down on general air pollution.