Ozone alert issued for Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas for Saturday. What to know.

This alert led to an “Ozone Alert Day” issued by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments for OKC and by the Indian Nations Council of Governments for Tulsa.

"Ozone at ground level is a harmful air pollutant, because of its effects on people and the environment, and it is the main ingredient in smog," according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

What is an ozone alert?

"This ozone alert is a prediction that concentrations of ozone will approach levels of concern over the next 24 hours," the DEQ said. "Sensitive individuals should plan accordingly. When these levels are reached, an Air Quality Health Advisory will be issued. Health Advisories are notifications that levels of ozone have reached unhealthy levels."

How high levels of ozone and pollution affect people

According to the DEQ:

• "Persons with lung or heart disease should be aware that increased pollution may cause them to experience adverse health effects."
• "Ozone affects people differently. Unhealthy levels of ozone can cause throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, increased susceptibility to respiratory infection and aggravation of asthma and other respiratory ailments. These symptoms are worsened by exercise and heavy activity. Learn your limits."
• "Children, older adults and people with underlying lung diseases, such as asthma, are at particular risk of suffering from these effects. As ozone levels increase, the number of people affected and the severity of the health effects also increase."

Tips for reducing your exposure to ozone

The DEQ provided these suggestions:

• Car pool or ride the bus to work or school.
• Walk or ride a bicycle for short trips during morning hours when ozone levels are lower.
• Wait until evening to refuel your automobile or mow your lawn.
• Arrive and leave work a little earlier or later than usual to decrease rush-hour traffic.
• Drive your most fuel-efficient vehicle.
• Make sure gas caps on vehicles, lawn mowers and other equipment seal properly.
• Combine errands to make one trip instead of several.
• Limit idling time in your vehicle.
• Limit the use of drive-thru windows.
• Limit the use of charcoal starter fluid and other products that contain hydrocarbons.
• Postpone normally permissible outdoor burning to a non-Ozone Alert day.
• Limit or postpone the use of two-cycle engines (i.e., lawnmowers, weed eaters, motor boats and motor cycles).
• Telework when possible to reduce vehicles on the road and emissions

Sign Up: Weekly newsletter Real Estate with Richard Mize

Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 6 months of subscriber-only access for $1.