Indiana state officials have warned residents to turn off their lights due to unhealthy ozone levels.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has declared an air quality action day through Friday for the northwestern, northcentral and southeastern parts of the state.
According to the ministry, Air Quality Action Days (AQAD) are days when ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter, better known as PM2.5, can build up in the outdoor air to unhealthy levels.
The National Weather Service said the AQAD was issued because ozone levels are expected to be in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” range.
“Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioning to 75 degrees or warmer,” the weather service said.
Indiana residents advised to turn off their lights due to unhealthy ozone levels
Active children, adults and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma are advised to limit their time outdoors.
“Do not fill up your gas tank or operate gas-powered lawn mowers before 7 p.m.,” the weather service said.
“Avoid the drive-through and combine errands into one trip. Turn off your engine if you’re idling for more than 30 seconds.”
A recent study has found that inhaling carbon emissions from fossil fuels such as gas and coal can be deadly.
According to scientists, the use of fossil fuels for energy generation, transportation and industrial processes such as steel production causes 5.13 million additional deaths worldwide each year.
According to researchers, ozone (O3) is one of the deadly pollutants in outdoor air. O3 is created by reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, both of which are emitted by vehicles, industrial processes and more.
A recent study has found that inhaling emissions from the use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels can be fatal.
At ground level, ozone creates a smog-like haze that is especially prevalent in cities. This haze can cause respiratory problems, especially for vulnerable people suffering from lung diseases such as asthma.
Another nasty pollutant is known as PM2.5: tiny particles or droplets smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which are invisible to the naked eye and which we breathe in without realizing it.
Breathing PM2.5 is already thought to cause asthma, lung and heart disease, and even depression, but many of its health effects have yet to be discovered.