It's Monday, It's Tuesday, It's Another Ozone Alert Day!

Lyn Riebel and Garvita Thareja

We have all awakened to the alerts on our phones or have seen the signs across the highways as we drive around town, an Ozone Action Day is almost as constant here in Colorado as looking West to see the mountains. Ozone Alerts signify that our Colorado air quality is unhealthy enough that we should limit outdoor activities and be especially cautious if we are among some of the Coloradans who suffer from asthma or have sensitivity to the poor air quality and are vulnerable to developing respiratory issues

Each day we see these alerts we cannot help but think, “again?” Seeing these frequent alerts reminds us of how important healthy air quality really is The cleanliness of our air is indicated by the air quality index (AQI) (Table 1), a scale that measures the levels of air pollutants (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], n.d.). This scale measures different aspects of air quality including ground-level ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide on a range from 0 (good) to 500 (hazardous) (United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2015). To be considered an Ozone Action Day the AQI must be 101 and above (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment [CDPHE], 2023). In 2021 Colorado set a record for 65 Ozone Action Days (Conservation Colorado, 2022).

As someone living with asthma that is easily triggered by poor air quality, these alerts should be taken very seriously For Coloradans, being outside in nature is a part of the culture and necessary for a healthy lifestyle However, these air quality alerts are now becoming more and more frequent due to the rise in gas wells along the Front Range and the increasing number of vehicles on the roads (Robbins, 2022). This makes it more problematic to be able to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state, not only for individuals who are vulnerable to respiratory issues, but also for young children or adults who regularly spend time outside (Allergy & Asthma Network, 2023).

Minimal exposure to poor air quality may cause cough or shortness of breath while prolonged exposure can cause respiratory issues for all individuals (Allergy & Asthma Network, 2023).

Throughout the Front Range, the measure of ozone levels in the air have been consistently above the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard of 0070 ppm (Booth, 2022), with some critical areas trending upwards to more dangerous levels exceeding 0081 ppm in recent years (Booth, 2022; Robbins, 2022) The EPA has even gone as far as potentially classifying nine Colorado counties including Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Greely, and Loveland as being “severe” violators of federal ozone standards (EPA, 2022; Robbins, 2022). Healthy levels of ozone are necessary to protect us from the sun’s harmful rays, however, too much ozone creates its own health hazard.

While we have seen increasing trends in the past few years, there have also been some glimpses of hope through legislation In the 2021 legislative session, legislation has been passed to increase electric bus operation as well as to make public transportation free for the month of August, a critical month for ozone alerts (Robbins, 2022). August is a key month for not only higher temperatures that affect ozone, but also because many students are returning to school and vehicle trips are increasing as over 46.6% of children travel to school in a passenger vehicle (Beck & Nguyen, 2017). Increasing the number of electric-powered buses reduces harmful emissions that are typically produced by gas-powered vehicles. Reducing the number of vehicles on the road and ensuring that those vehicles exhibit proper emissions are some steps that can help alleviate dangerous levels of ozone (EPA, 2015) These actions meet some of the objectives for the Healthy People 2020 initiative, specifically the goal to increase the use of public transportation and reduce the effects of major sources of airborne pollutants (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).

These actions are a start, but they are not enough to turn our trends in the right direction to improve the air quality of Colorado Currently in Colorado, only motor vehicles registered in Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and parts of the following: Adams, Arapahoe, El Paso, Larimer, and Weld counties require emissions testing, meaning eighty-four percent of Colorado’s 65 counties do not require any emissions testing, leaving many vehicles on the road emitting higher pollutants (Colorado General Assembly, nd) With over 53 million vehicles registered in Colorado (United States Department of Transportation, 2023), requiring emissions testing in all counties, and removing high emission vehicles from the roads, would be a significant step towards addressing our air pollution concerns and would help to reduce the number of Ozone Action Days here in Colorado (Robbins, 2022).

There are other actions that can be taken to help reduce the amount of ozone pollution in Colorado including planting trees, promoting public or shared transportation, or increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road. Colorado is one of many states that offers incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, and organizations such as the Urban Forest Initiative focus on increasing the number of trees planted in Colorado (Downtown Denver Partnerships, 2019) If we all do our part, from turning off lights when not in use, carpooling, using public transportation, or reducing the number of vehicle trips taken, we can see clear blue skies instead of amber lights warning us of another Ozone Alert Day!