Air Quality Potentially Dangerous In Philly Region Friday: DEP

SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA — Air in the five-county Philadelphia region will be potentially dangerous for some residents Friday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Officials Thursday declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Friday in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

A code orange action day means the air has unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people.

Young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems — such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis — are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities Friday, the department said.

Mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures, and light winds from the west and southwest will likely contribute to 8-hour average concentrations of ozone in the Code Orange range on Friday.

Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce ozone air pollution by:

• driving less by carpooling or using public transportation;
• combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;
• limiting engine idling;
• refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and
• conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.