Heatwave Causing Poor Air Quality Across Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Hot weather predicted throughout the week across Riverside County is increasing the likelihood of elevated ozone levels that lead to poor air quality, the South Coast Air Quality Management District warned.

Levels of ground-level ozone, or smog — the predominant summertime pollutant — are likely to reach the Unhealthy or higher Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in the Santa Clarita Valley, the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Mountains, the San Gabriel Valley, the Inland Empire, the San Bernardino Mountains, and the Coachella Valley.

The SCAQMD has issued an advisory through Friday afternoon, and in Riverside County the areas of direct impacts and poor air quality may include portions of: Corona-Norco, Metropolitan Riverside County, Perris Valley, Lake Elsinore, Temecula Valley, Anza Valley, Hemet-San Jacinto Valley, San Gorgonio Pass, Coachella Valley, and East Riverside County, according to the SCAQMD.

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Elevated temperatures, which enhance ozone formation rates, coupled with predicted atmospheric inversions that trap pollution near the surface, may cause unusually high and persistent levels of ozone pollution, according to the SCAQMD.

When air quality is Unhealthy and reaches an air quality index (AQI) range of 151 to 200, everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and residents with higher sensitivity to air pollution may experience more serious effects. When air quality is Very Unhealthy with an AQI range of 201 to 300, everyone in the region may experience more serious health effects, according to the SCAQMD.

Ozone air pollution can cause respiratory health problems, including trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and lung damage. Research also indicates that ozone exposure can increase the risk of premature death. Children, older adults, and people with asthma or COPD may be more sensitive to the health effects of ozone.