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Ozone Season
What is the "Ozone Season"?
An ozone season is a period of time in which ground-level ozone, which is the primary type of air pollution we have in the Alamo Region, typically reaches its highest concentrations in the air we breathe. In this region, the ozone season stretches from April through October. Ground-level ozone reaches its highest concentrations during these months because ozone forms when nitrogen oxides mix with volatile organic compounds in intense sunlight, and sunlight is strongest from April through October. It is during this time that we are most likely to have exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone.

Air Quality Exceedances
Ozone levels are considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be unhealthful and exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standard when they are measured above 75 parts per billion (ppb). The standard is based on averaging air quality measurements over eight-hour blocks of time. EPA uses the average of the annual fourth highest eight-hour daily maximum concentrations from three years of air quality monitoring data to determine a violation of the ozone standard.

High concentrations of ozone can cause shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, eye and throat irritation, and lung damage. People who suffer from lung diseases like bronchitis, pneumonia, emphysema, asthma, and colds have even more trouble breathing when the air is polluted. These effects can be worse in anyone who spends significant periods of time exercising or working outdoors.

2013 Ozone Season Air Quality Health Alerts and Exceedances
The following table shows the number of times, indicated in orange, that the San Antonio Metropolitan Area received a warning and/or exceeded the EPA's Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone during the 2013 Ozone Season, as of May 23, 2013:

Date

 Warning Level

High 8-hour reading at a Regulatory Site

 05/13/13

  No warning  77 - Camp Bullis C58

For more information specific to the 2013 Ozone Season, please click here.

Alamo Area Council of Governments
8700 Tesoro Dr., Suite 700
San Antonio, TX 78217-6228
Ph: (210) 362-5200
Fx: (210) 225-5937
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