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NOHW40 PHFO 301939
PNSHFO

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
945 AM EDT WED APR 30 2008

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

THIS WEEK MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE OZONE SEASON FOR MANY AREAS IN 
THE UNITED STATES. TODAY WE HIGHLIGHT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF POOR AIR 
QUALITY. 

YOU ARE EXPOSED TO AIRBORNE CONTAMINATION EVERY TIME YOU BREATHE 
POLLUTED AIR. BUT WHEN YOU EXERCISE...WORK IN THE YARD...OR DO OTHER 
STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES THAT MAKE YOU BREATHE HARDER AND FASTER...YOU 
INHALE EVEN MORE POLLUTED AIR INTO YOUR LUNGS. 

EXPOSURE TO HIGH LEVELS OF OZONE AND PARTICLE POLLUTION IS LINKED 
WITH A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT HEALTH PROBLEMS. CHILDREN...PEOPLE WITH 
LUNG DISEASE...OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH HEART DISEASE TEND TO BE 
MORE VULNERABLE. WHEN POLLUTION REACHES HIGH ENOUGH LEVELS...THE AIR 
CAN BE UNHEALTHY FOR EVERYONE...ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ACTIVE 
OUTDOORS. YOU CAN HELP PROTECT YOURSELF SIMPLY BY CHANGING THE TIME 
OR INTENSITY OF YOUR ACTIVITIES. 

VOLCANIC EMISSIONS FROM KILAUEA ON THE BIG ISLAND CAN POTENTIALLY 
CAUSE UNHEALTHY AIR. USE THE AIR QUALITY INDEX TO HELP YOU DETERMINE 
WHEN YOU NEED TO MAKE CHANGES. THE AQI IS A COLOR CODED SCALE THAT 
TELLS YOU WHO NEEDS TO TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO OZONE OR 
PARTICLE POLLUTION. LOCAL AIR QUALITY FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE AT 
WWW.AIRNOW.GOV.

TOMORROW WE WILL LEARN ABOUT TOOLS TO HELP YOU GET AIR QUALITY 
INFORMATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AIR QUALITY AWARENESS 
WEEK...VISIT US ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT WWW.AIRQUALITY.NOAA.GOV.


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