American Lung Association gives South County an "F" for high ozone levels during warm months
By Will Collette
During the summer, we have the worst air in the state due to ground-level ozone levels due to heat and vehicle emissions.
High ozone levels are unhealthy for everyone but are especially dangerous to senior, the very young and anyone with lung disease.
According to Lung Association data, more than 23,000 South County residents suffer from lung disease that puts them at high risk.
Here's how the American Lung Association describes the effects:
Ozone gas is a powerful lung irritant. When it is inhaled into the lungs, it reacts with the delicate lining of the small airways, causing inflammation and other damage that can impact multiple body systems. Ozone exposure can also shorten lives. Ozone has a serious effect on the respiratory system, both in the short term and over the course of years of exposure. When ozone levels are high, many people experience breathing problems such as chest tightness, coughing and shortness of breath, often within hours of exposure. Even healthy young adults may experience respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function.
Wildfire smoke adds to the problem and South County has seen a major uptick in such fires in recent years, so much so that state Rep. Megan Cotter has become a leading advocate on fire prevention.
For the past two days, we have been under caution for elevated fire risk due to dry conditions, low humidity and brisk winds. These alerts seem to be occurring more frequently.
It doesn't help that the Trump regime not only denies there is a climate crisis but wants to make the problem worse by lessening efficiency standards and increasing the use of fossil fuels. Musk and Trump are also cancelling funding for research and environmental remediation.
Rhode Island offers you an on-line tool that allows you to easily see the quality of air. Despite today's fire risk, our air quality today is rated as "good."