'Code Orange' Smog Alert Issued for Wednesday Commute

Staff Report

Today Georgia Commute Options issued a “Code Orange” Smog Alert for tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17. A “Code Orange” alert means that the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, like older adults, children, and those who suffer from heart or lung conditions (including asthma). This is the first Smog Alert of 2015.

Smog Alerts are color-coded based on the Air Quality Index which categorizes air quality in Green, Yellow, Orange, Red and Purple based on concentration of pollutants. Georgia Commute Options provides Smog Alerts on days when there’s a forecast for air pollution to reach unhealthy concentration levels— Code Orange or higher. Metro Atlanta residents can subscribe to these at GaCommuteOptions.com. In 2014, there were 11 Smog Alerts — nine Code Orange alerts and two Code Purple (very unhealthy) alerts.

How can we all help prevent Smog Alerts?

There are three main types of pollution: Nitrogen Oxides (NOXs), particulate matter/particle pollution, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are all mostly man-made and come from vehicle emissions. When VOCs and NOXs are combined with heat and sunlight (mostly during the summer), we get ground-level ozone. When ground-level ozone is mixed with particulate matter, we get smog. The majority of air pollution comes from tailpipes, so when you choose to share the ride, you’re helping all of us breathe a little easier.