Back to school means spikes in ozone pollutants, experts say

School started this week for most Merced schools, which for parents and guardians means long lines of cars and waiting during drop-offs and pick-ups from school.

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District said the lines of idling cars contribute to air-quality issues in Merced.

“We do find a trend in ozone pollution spikes during back to school hours,” said Anthony Presto, outreach and communication representative for the Valley Air District.

The Valley Air District recommends carpooling or walking children to school to help reduce the number of idling vehicles.

“There could be up to 50 cars sitting and idling for half an hour and kids are going to be walking into those emissions,” Presto said.

Presto said children are more susceptible to issues caused by dirty air because their lungs are still developing and they take more breaths than adults.

According to Real-Time Air Quality, last week’s air pollution, at its worst, was in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range. Children, seniors and anybody with breathing-related illnesses are considered to be part of those sensitive groups.

“By reducing the number of cars to and from school we’re going to see air-quality benefits,” Presto said.

If a parent or guardian has no other choice than to drive a car to and from school, Presto advises them to park and turn off the engine, because the hour of the day kids are released from school is the worst time for creating ozone pollution.

Consistent high temperatures this week mixed with the wildfires around the Valley have been contributing to poor air quality this year, Presto said. Pollutants from wildfires can be inhaled and are so small they can enter the bloodstream, Presto said, causing a greater risk for heart attacks and strokes.

Temperatures Wednesday will be hitting triple digits, and the rest of the week is expected to be in high 90s until Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, when temperatures will cool down to 93.

The wildfires affecting the Central Valley air are the Soberanes Fire, the Clayton Fire and the Chimney Fire. Information on wildfires can be found at http://valleyair.org/wildfires.htm.

“If you look at the sky, you can see smoke,” Presto said. “We’re all breathing the air and we all need to be making lifestyle choices and do everything we can to reduce air pollution.”

This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Back to school means spikes in ozone pollutants, experts say."