The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the Enviromental Protection Agency today predicted that air quality on Tuesday will be unhealthy in the western half of Connecticut due to elevated concentrations of ground-level ozone, commonly called smog.
The agencies also said they expected elevated levels of particulate matter in this same area on Tuesday.
Anyone can be affected by ozone, but groups particularly sensitive include children and adults who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, the agencies said.
Sensitive people who experience effects at lower ozone concentrations are likely to experience more serious effects at higher concentrations. Still, even the healthiest people may find it difficult to breathe when ozone levels are very high.
When particulate concentrations in the ambient air are elevated, people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children are the groups most at risk, according to the agencies.
