Air Quality Alert issued for Saturday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Alert for Saturday, July 7, 2012.

The agency said air quality will reach unhealthy levels in the state, especially in the southern sections, in the afternoon.

As on all Air Quality Alert days, all regular RIPTA buses and trolleys will be free Saturday. Special services, like the Providence to Newport Ferry, are exempt from the program.

The Air Quality Alert program encourages residents to reduce air pollutant emissions by limiting their car travel and their use of small engines, lawn mowers and charcoal lighter fluids.

The Department of Health warns that unhealthy levels of ozone can cause:  

• Throat irritation
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Increased susceptibility to respiratory infection
• Aggravation of asthma and other respiratory ailments.

These symptoms are worsened by exercise and heavy activity. The elderly, children, and people who have 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.