Alert on air pollution extends into Arkansas

The air quality in the Memphis metropolitan area, including where it extends into Arkansas, was declared "unhealthy for the general public" Friday, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Memphis said.

The Health Department for Shelby County, Tenn., issued a "Code Red" ozone advisory Friday for the metropolitan area, which includes Crittenden County, Ark. Advisories change daily.

According to the department's Twitter account, the metropolitan area also struggled with air quality Wednesday and Thursday. On those days, the department issued "Code Orange" advisories, which indicate that air quality is unhealthy for "sensitive groups," such as people with existing respiratory issues.

Ground-level ozone, often referred to as smog, forms when car exhaust and industrial emissions react to high temperatures and sunlight. Such ozone is considered a public-health issue. Ozone that occurs at a higher atmospheric level, commonly called the ozone layer, is considered protective of the Earth's atmosphere.

Last October, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made its ground-level ozone standard more strict, tightening it from 75 to 70 parts of ozone per billion parts of air starting in 2017.

The trucking-heavy Memphis area has struggled with air quality for years but was recently released from air quality nonattainment status by the EPA.

Temperatures in Memphis reached the low-90s Friday.

According to the National Weather Service in North Little Rock, the Little Rock metropolitan area had no ozone advisories Friday. It incurred a moderate rating of 70 parts of ozone per billion parts of air.

With moderate air quality, people who are unusually sensitive to air quality "should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion," according the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality's website.

Forecasters predict moderate air quality for the Springdale area today. It was considered "good" on Friday.

Forecasts for today's air quality in the Little Rock and Memphis metropolitan areas were unavailable Friday evening.

Metro on 06/11/2016

Upcoming Events