Dane County is one of nine southern Wisconsin counties under warning part of today for air pollution producing hazardous air quality for at risk groups.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued an an orange alert early Tuesday morning when the area’s air persistently tested for fine particle pollution, a DNR statement said.
The fine particles are a result primarily of combustion sources like power plants, factories, vehicle exhaust and burning wood, the advisory said.
The DNR expected the Air Quality Index to reach an orange alert level by Tuesday afternoon, which would create an unhealthy situation for individuals with heart or lung disease or asthma, as well as for the elderly and children, the advisory said.
The advisory warned people in these groups to either cancel or reduce strenuous activities. The DNR also warned these at-risk groups might experience symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain because the fine particles that cause hazard can easily lodge deep into the lungs and are difficult to exhale.
An orange alert level is not high enough to create generalized responses from the rest of the population, Robert Lopez, Air Quality Planner for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said.
However, Lopez said an orange alert is only one level away from a red level threat that would cause a bodily reaction in a great portion of the population.
“We’re not close to those levels this late afternoon, but both Dane and Brown county remain quite elevated,” Lopez said.
Advisories indicate the bad air is already present and might linger for a long period, but Tuesday’s warning is expected to only be in effect until sometime today.
Lopez said Wisconsin frequently sees some form of winter watches and advisories because the entire lower level air mass elevates concentrations, making it more difficult to clean off as a fresh air mass moves into the region, Lopez said.
Lopez said it is also difficult for individuals to regulate their exposure to the fine particles.
“There is relatively less that an individual can do to improve their own exposure relative to ozone because the very fine particles tend to infiltrate more easily into living spaces,” Lopez said.
The advisory was also issued for Brown, Columbia, Dodge, Jefferson, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sauk, Washington and Waukesha counties.
