Air Quality Alert Expands In New Hampshire; Deemed Unhealthy For ‘Sensitive Groups’

CONCORD, NH — For the second day in a row, due to possible and expected air pollution concentrations, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issued another air quality alert — and expanded it to eight counties in the state.

On Wednesday, environmental officials are advising “sensitive individuals” to take precautions for their breathing and health by “limiting prolonged outdoor exertion” in Belknap, Cheshire, southern Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, and Sullivan counties. Children and elderly adults are of primary concern, as well as “anyone with lung disease such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, and people who are active outdoors,” an alert stated.

“Even healthy individuals may experience mild health effects and should consider limiting strenuous or prolonged outdoor activities,” officials said.

Ground-level ozone — the main component of smog from outside of the Granite State, brought in by wind, will exacerbate the problem as it combines with normal air pollution in New Hampshire. High temperatures — expected to be in the upper 80s and lower 90s on Wednesday, and sunny skies, “enhance the creation of ozone from these precursor pollutants.” Air quality is expected to improve on Thursday due to cloud cover and precipitation moving into the region.

“Symptoms of ozone exposure may include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or pain when inhaling deeply,” the alert warned. “People with asthma and other existing lung diseases may not be able to breathe as deeply or vigorously as normal and may experience symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. The symptom severity can increase as air pollutant concentrations increase.”

For more information, contact the NH DES at 603-271-1370 or visit the state’s air data website, linked here.

The latest weather conditions can be found on the front page of every Patch.com site in the United States, including the 14 New Hampshire Patch news and community websites covering Amherst, Bedford, Concord, Exeter, Hampton, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Salem, Windham, and Across NH. Local weather reports for New Hampshire are posted on Sundays and Thursdays. Alerts are published when needed.

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