Air Pollution Talk

Through the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on how much of a pollutant can be in the air anywhere in the United States. This helps to make sure that all citizens have the same basic protection. But there are still things you can do to help keep yourself and your family safe.

* Protect yourself and your children against sunburn. When the UV index is high or very high, limit being outside between 10am and 4pm. This is when the sun is most intense. Apply a sunscreen with a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15, twenty minutes before going outside. Put on more sunscreen every two hours or after working or playing. Even waterproof sunscreen can come off when you towel off, sweat, or spend lots of time in the water.
* Wear a hat with a wide brim to protect your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck from the sun.
* Wear tightly woven, loose-fitting, and full-length clothing to protect yourself.
* Wear sunglasses that provide 99-100% of UVA (rays not absorbed by ozone) and UVB (rays from the sun which have harmful effects) protection to reduce your chance of cataracts and other eye damage.
* Avoid sunlamps and subheads.
* Check the air quality forecast in your area. At times when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is unhealthy, limit being outdoors to times when ozone levels are not as high. In many places, ozone peaks in mid-afternoon to early evening.
* Conserve energy at home and in the office.
* During the summer, fill your gas tank during the cooler evening hours.
* Reduce driving. Carpool and use public transportation when you can. Walk or bike to reduce ozone pollution, especially on hot summer days.
* Read labels for proper use of household and garden chemicals.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services