Air Quality Alert: Ozone to cause bad air quality in Massachusetts today. What to know.

Rin Velasco, Wicked Local

Air quality alerts have been issued for seven counties in Massachusetts today because of expected but elevated levels of ozone, said the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

With these ozone levels, today's air quality is potentially unhealthy for sensitive groups to inhale, like people with heart or lung disease (such as asthma), older adults, children, teenagers and people who are active and outdoors.

These alerts, issued for 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, apply to Worcester, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex counties as well as eastern Hampden and Hampshire counties.

Massachusetts only has 14 counties, and seven of them have already have air quality alerts.

This ozone pollution arrives on the hottest day of this week in Massachusetts, as most of the state is predicted to register temperatures in the high 80s.

What is ozone pollution, anyway?

Ozone is Massachusetts' main seasonal pollutant because its formation depends on temperature and sunlight, according to the state's environmental protections department,

"The higher the temperature and the more direct the sunlight, the more ozone is produced," the department said. "For this reason New England’s ozone monitoring season runs from March through September."

What are the symptoms of ozone pollution exposure

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists ground-level ozone as one of six common air pollutants that help cause smog, acid rain and other problems in addition to endangering people's health.

According to a document released by MassDEP, people in the counties that have air quality alerts should watch out for the following symptoms, as they can each result from ozone exposure.

  • Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat

  • Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and breathing difficulties

  • Worsening of existing lung and heart problems, such as asthma

  • Increased risk of heart attack

MassDEP has said in similar air quality circumstances that people in sensitive groups should decrease prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, lessen intense activities, follow asthma action plans and keep quick relief medicine at the ready.

The department also says to watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Air Quality Alert: Here's why the air quality is bad today in Mass

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