Take care of your health by taking steps to reduce ozone formation

Boulder County, Colo. – Ozone levels are the highest – and most harmful to health – during the warmer summer months. Boulder County, as part of the Denver Metro/North Front Range area, will soon be reclassified as serious nonattainment for ozone, meaning the area does not meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act. 

In the presence of sunlight, ozone is created via a chemical reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x), causing particularly high levels of ozone pollution during summer months.

In 2018, the Boulder air quality monitor located at the Boulder Reservoir recorded the highest level of ground-level ozone in the Denver Metro/North Front Range area – 89 parts per billion (ppb) – on July 10, due to high temperatures (95°F) and abundant sunshine. So far in 2019, the Boulder monitoring site has already measured a concentration of 72 ppb. Ozone concentrations are considered to be unhealthy above 70 ppb.

“The hot and sunny weather over the past week, and due to come the rest of this week, creates a perfect environment for ozone formation,” said Cindy Copeland, Boulder County Public Health air quality specialist. “In addition to weather, ozone levels also rise when impacted by other pollutants, such as local emissions from vehicles and oil and gas production.”

Breathing ground-level ozone causes symptoms like coughing, throat irritation, pain, burning or discomfort in the chest, chest tightness and wheezing, or shortness of breath. Long-term exposure to ozone can cause more frequent and severe asthma attacks, increased hospitalizations, and higher rates of illness and death.

Ozone also affects sensitive vegetation and ecosystems, including forests, parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas. In particular, high ozone levels can harm sensitive vegetation during the growing season.

“Vehicle traffic and nearby oil and gas production, combined with hot sunny days, makes it important for each of us to take steps to protect ourselves and our environment,” said Copeland.

Residents can check ozone levels and learn how to be part of the solution at BoulderCountyAir.org, click on “Ozone,” or by following facebook.com/bouldercountypublichealth or twitter.com/bouldercohealth.

Ozone concentrations at the Boulder Reservoir are measured by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Further monitoring of VOCs and NO_X is conducted by researchers at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado, and shorter-term ozone measurements are posted in five-minute averages at http://instaar.colorado.edu/arl/boulder_reservoir.html#monitoring.

- BoulderCountyAir.org-