Spare the Air -- Bay Area Air Quality Management District



	Updated Thu., July 02 at 12:35 PM
		Fri	Sat
		42	45

		52	55

		47	50

		52	49

		45	47

Scroll over the numbers for an explanation of the AQI scale categories.

The Air Quality Forecast is updated several times daily, Monday - Friday.

Summer 2009 Ozone Exceedances

	Spare the Air Days	7

	National 8-hr Excess Days	5

	Californial 8-hr Excess Days	5

	California 1-hr Excess Days	4





	Yearly Exceedance History

0 - 50
Good - No health effects.

51 - 100
Moderate - Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

101 - 150
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups - Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease should limit outdoor exertion.

151 - 200
Unhealthy - Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

201 - 300
Very Unhealthy - Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.

Spare the Air Program

The Spare the Air Program was established by the
Bay Area Air Quality Management District to educate people about air pollution, and to encourage them to change their behavior to prevent it.

During the summer months ground-level ozone is the pollutant of concern. Ozone is formed when pollutants combine on hot summer days, and it accumulates when there is little wind.

In order to protect public health, the Air District issues Spare the Air advisories on days when air quality is forecast to be unhealthy due to high ozone levels. People who are especially sensitive to pollution are advised to limit their time outdoors, particularly in the afternoon hours. These advisories are posted on our web site, recorded on our 1 (800) HELP AIR forecast phone line, announced in local newspapers, and broadcast on local TV and radio stations.

On Spare the Air Days, we ask Bay Area residents to reduce pollution by making clean air choices every day. These simple actions include driving less, taking public transportation, trip-linking, walking, biking, choosing non-gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment, and avoiding polluting household products.

On this site you will find answers to frequently asked questions about air pollution, descriptions of its health effects, information about how various communities and employers are working to prevent pollution, clean air tips, and a variety of other educational resources.

In addition, the air quality forecast allows you to keep track of air quality conditions in your region of the Bay Area.


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