000
NOHW40 PHFO 282022
PNSHFO

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST MON APR 28 2008

... THIS IS NATIONAL AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK...

THIS WEEK MARKS THE BEGINNING OF OZONE SEASON FOR MANY AREAS IN THE 
UNITED STATES. EACH DAY OF AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK WILL FEATURE A 
UNIQUE TOPIC RELEVANT TO EDUCATION AND PREPAREDNESS.

TODAY WE HIGHLIGHT TWO TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION...OZONE AND PARTICLE 
POLLUTION. THESE ARE TWO COMMON POLLUTANTS FOUND IN MANY PARTS OF 
THE COUNTRY.

OZONE IS A COLORLESS...ODORLESS GAS. IT IS THE SAME GAS THAT IS 
FOUND IN THE OZONE LAYER HIGH IN THE EARTHS STRATOSPHERE WHERE IT 
PROTECTS US FROM THE SUNS ULTRAVIOLET ENERGY. BUT AT GROUND LEVEL... 
WHERE WE LIVE...OZONE POLLUTION IS UNHEALTHY TO BREATHE. 

PARTICLE POLLUTION...OR AIRBORNE PARTICLE POLLUTION...CONSISTS OF 
MICROSCOPIC PARTICLES IN THE AIR.  THIS TYPE OF POLLUTION HAS BEEN 
AN ISSUE HERE IN HAWAII WITH VOLCANIC EMISSIONS FROM KILAUEA ON THE 
BIG ISLAND. EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRY...AUTOMOBILES...AND POWER 
PLANTS ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO PARTICLE POLLUTION. LIKE OZONE...PARTICLE 
POLLUTION IN HIGH CONCENTRATIONS IS NOT HEALTHY TO BREATHE. THE 
PARTICLES ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO HAZE OR VOG WHICH REDUCES 
VISIBILITY...AS HAWAII EXPERIENCED THIS PAST WEEK.

TOMORROW WE WILL LEARN HOW THESE POLLUTANTS FORM AND CREATE POOR AIR 
QUALITY CONDITIONS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK...VISIT US ON THE 
WORLD WIDE WEB AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/

WWW.AIRQUALITY.NOAA.GOV

$$

TANABE/MORRISON