Local News

Ozone Days Tough On Certain Groups

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Another ozone action day is bad news for people with asthma.

Already it's been hard on little Charles Ellis. "He doesn't do too good in hot weather with his asthma," says his mother, Kesha Ellis of East Liberty.

"I usually give him a breathing treatment every four hours, but it's just not working today," she explains, as her toddler coughs through his breathing treatment. "His wheezing, he gets a lot worse, he uses his stomach muscles to breathe, so I know it's time to get to the hospital."

On ozone action days, the elderly, the very young, and people with lung problems are especially sensitive to the effects of air pollution.

The Department of Environmental Protection has called a "Code Orange" for the Pittsburgh area. That means unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people.

The Children's Hospital Emergency Department is busier than usual because of it.

"We're definitely starting to see an increase in the number of kids coming in with asthma, or asthma-related illnesses," says Dr. Ray Pitetti, and emergency room physician at Children's Hospital.

Dr. Pitetti ventured outside where people are surrounded by ozone.

"It's not just the heat and humidity, but it's all the traffic and the buses going by." Dr. Pitetti points out.

"There's particulate matter, there's ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, all that, and this busy street corner, you're going to have all of that because of the traffic, plus all the heat pushing everything down," he comments. "I don't know if there are people out here who have asthma, but if they do, this really is not a good environment for them to be in."

Ozone is a gas that forms in hot weather. It comes from vehicle and industrial exhaust, gas pumps, print shops, and paint fumes. Ozone high in the atmosphere protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays, but at ground level, it's a pollutant.

As for protecting your kids, "minimize what they're doing and where they are," recommends Dr. Pitetti. "And if they're outside, minimize their activity level cause all that is going to make things worse. Really keeping an eye on them and supervising them."

Avoid being outside if possible.

To reduce ozone levels for everyone, decrease your vehicle use by carpooling or taking the bus, wait until dusk to fill up at the gas pump and be efficient and conservative with your household energy use.

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