Air Pollution in Sequoia National Park

Wheezing and gasping during or after a hike?

Ozone is a toxic, colorless gas and a powerful lung irritant. When heat combines with pollutants emitted from cars and smokestacks, ozone levels are heightened. Bad air days are most common during the summer months.

The average number of days over the past three years when ozone levels violated the federal government’s health-based eight-hour limit:

* San Francisco Bay Area: 5
* San Diego: 6
* Sacramento: 38
* Sequoia National Park: 63
* Los Angeles Basin: 103

Sources: National Park Service, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, South Coast AQMD, San Diego County Air Pollution Control District

December 18, 2008 at 2:04 am | California