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By Aila Slisco
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Texas officials asked millions of residents to avoid using their cars on Thursday to help improve air quality.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) proclaimed an "Ozone Action Day" for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, home to around 8 million people, due to conditions that could boost ozone levels.
"Atmospheric conditions are expected to be favorable for producing high levels of ozone air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Thursday," a notice shared to the website of the National Weather Service (NWS) reads.
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"You can help prevent ozone pollution by sharing a ride, walking, riding a bicycle, taking your lunch to work, avoiding drive-through lanes, conserving energy, and keeping your vehicle properly tuned," it continues.
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Newsweek reached out for comment to TCEQ via email on Thursday.
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Ozone is considered "a harmful air pollutant" by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and can cause adverse health effects in children and other sensitive groups.
Ground-level ozone, the main component of "smog," is created when pollutants like vehicle emissions are released into the environment and undergo a chemical reaction in sunlight.
TCEQ declares Ozone Actions Days during the "ozone-forecast season" in nine different Texas metropolitan areas. The season runs from March 1 to October 31 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
"Forecast seasons are based on when each area is likely to experience warmer temperatures and weather conditions that are favorable for increased ozone formation," according to TCEQ.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area was experiencing hot and mostly sunny weather on Thursday, with an expected high near 100 degrees, according to NWS. Winds were also light and humidity was relatively low—conditions favorable to the accumulation of ground ozone.
For both Thursday and Friday, TCEQ listed Dallas-Fort Worth at "code orange" on the EPA's Air Quality Index, indicating that conditions are "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
Sensitive groups include children, elderly people and those with chronic lung conditions, although ozone pollution can also have a negative impact on those who are otherwise healthy.
Unhealthy exposure to ozone can cause symptoms including breathing difficulties, a sore or scratchy throat and coughing, while also aggravating chronic lung conditions, according to the EPA.
"Some of these effects have been found even in healthy people, but effects can be more serious in people with lung diseases such as asthma," the EPA website states. "They may lead to increased school absences, medication use, visits to doctors and emergency rooms, and hospital admissions."
"Some studies in locations with elevated concentrations also report associations of ozone with deaths from respiratory causes," it continues.
Additionally, high ozone levels have negative impacts on the environment by limiting the ability of plants to grow and defend themselves against diseases caused by other pollutants and insects.
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