Air Quality Health Advisory Declared For Long Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — In addition to the current heat wave on Long Island, residents have to worry about bad air on Friday and Saturday, as well.

An Air Quality Health Advisory was declared on Long Island by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation due to high levels of ozone.

An air quality index reading, which forecasts how polluted the air is or will be, has Long Island pegged at 119 on Friday and 133 on Saturday, which means the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Just over a week ago, Long Island had an AQI of 1o1.

Breathing in ground-level ozone can be harmful to your health, the the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention writes on its website. Ozone has been linked to coughing and pain when taking a deep breath, lung and throat irritation as well as wheezing and trouble breathing during exercise or outdoor activities.

Dangerous levels of ozone can impact anyone. To keep safe during periods of high levels of ozone, the CDC advises people to spend more time inside and choose easier outdoor activities (walking instead of running).