Air Quality Alert In Effect Across Long Island Through Friday Night: Officials

LONG ISLAND, NY — An air quality alert is in effect through 11 p.m. Friday night across Long Island, according to the National Weather Service.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has issued an air quality health advisory due to the fact that air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an Air Quality Index value of 100 for the pollutant of ground level ozone, the NWS said.

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, the NWS said.

The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern.

When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, and those with preexisting respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease.

Those with symptoms should consider consulting their personal physician. For additional information, please visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website here, or call the Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345.