Recent reports indicate that air-polluting smog is increasing. Smog accounts for a large number of respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Smog is created when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds cook in sunlight. Those chemicals come from cars, trucks, power plants, and industrial plants.

Here are some suggestions from WV’s Division of Air Quality (DAQ) for decreasing our contribution to air pollution.

  • Carpool, use public transportation, bike or walk whenever possible
  • Follow gasoline refueling instructions and be careful not to spill fuel. Refueling your car in the evening or early morning when it is cooler reduces your contribution to ozone pollution
  • Keep your car, boat, and other engines properly tuned
  • Be sure your tires are properly inflated
  • Use environmentally-safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible
  • Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office equipment
  • Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste

Additionally, the SCMT  notes that speeding uses much more fuel, thus contributing to smog increases.

Here is more information from the DAQ about its role in monitoring air quality: “The Division of AIr Quality (DAQ) maintains a statewide network for monitoring air quality. Air monitors located around the state record the concentrations of major pollutants. These raw measurements are then converted into an ‘Air Quality Index’ (AQI) value, using standard formulas developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The reported index is updated on DAQ’s website (www.dep.wv.gov/daq/air-monitoring/Pages/AirQualityIndex.aspx), Monday through Friday, and is also available at www.airnow.gov.”