Air quality in the Twin Cities and much of central Minnesota may reach unhealthy levels Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an air quality alert from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday for the Twin Cities metro area, extending northwest to St. Cloud, Sauk Centre, Long Prairie and Little Falls. The alert also includes the Tribal Nations of Prairie Island and Mille Lacs.
The alert is due to ground-level ozone created by a combination of weather conditions.
“Mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures and low humidity will provide a favorable environment for two types of pollutants (volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides) to react with sunlight in the air to produce ground-level ozone,” the MPCA reported. “Ozone is expected to increase during the late morning, reach alert levels during the afternoon, and then subside in the early evening.”
Forecasters say air quality in the alert area may reach the orange category — meaning unhealthy for sensitive groups. That includes people with chronic breathing conditions, as well as children and the elderly.
“Unhealthy ozone can aggravate lung diseases like asthma, emphysema and COPD. When the air quality is unhealthy, people with these conditions may experience symptoms like difficulty breathing deeply, shortness of breath, throat soreness, wheezing, coughing or unusual fatigue,” the MPCA reported.
People in the Twin Cities — especially those in sensitive groups — may want to limit or postpone outdoor activities while the alert is in effect.
Experts also say that while wearing a mask can help with air pollution due to wildfire smoke — masks do not help filter out ozone, and actually could make it worse. That’s because wildfire smoke is particulates, while ozone is a gas.
What can help limit ozone exposure is staying away from local sources of air pollution, like busy roads.
The MPCA offered tips on how people can help reduce the amount of pollutants in the air:
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Reduce driving and carpool or use public transit when possible.
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If you need to fill your vehicle with gas or diesel, avoid filling up during the middle of the day.
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Avoid using gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment until the alert has ended, or use battery or manual-powered equipment instead.
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Avoid backyard campfires.
