# Program Background

**EnviroFlash:** EnviroFlash gives instant air quality information that
citizens can customize for their own needs, allowing them to take steps
that can protect the health of their family. The service is especially
helpful for people who are at greater risk from air pollution, including
children, older adults, and people with heart or lung diseases, such as
coronary artery disease or asthma. But everyone can benefit by taking
steps to reduce exposure on unhealthy air quality days.

EnviroFlash provides air quality forecasts via e-mail and pager,
allowing individuals to make plans based on information that is reliable
and daily. The messages include the same local air quality forecast that
is coordinated through television and radio news media. EnviroFlash is
sponsored by EPA and the state and local air quality agencies that
participate in the AIRNow program, and can be found at
[www.airnow.gov]{.underline}.

**The Air Quality Index (AQI)**: The AQI is a color-based index for
reporting daily air quality, including how clean or polluted the outdoor
air is in a specific location and what associated health effects may
result for the local population. The AQI focuses on health effects a
person may experience within a few hours or days after breathing
polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major pollutants regulated
by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known
as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen
dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air
quality standards to protect public health.

**AIRNow:** The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in
collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
the National Park Service, and tribal, state, and local agencies,
developed the AIRNow Web page to provide the public with easy access to
national air quality information. The site, at
[www.airnow.gov](http://www.airnow.gov/), offers daily AQI forecasts and
real-time AQI conditions for almost 350 major cities across the country,
and provides links to more detailed state and local air quality Web
pages.

# How to Sign Up for EnviroFlash

EnviroFlash is an e-mail and pager notification system that alerts you
when your local air quality reaches the level that you specify.
Currently available in participating cities, you can sign up for
EnviroFlash at [www.airnow.gov](http://www.airnow.gov/). The service is
free of charge, and you are only required to provide your email address
or pager number. This information will not be shared with any other
organization, and EPA will only use it to transmit the EnviroFlash
notifications.

If you are not located near a participating city, you can find your
local Air Quality Index (AQI) forecast on EPA's AIRNow Web page at
[www.airnow.gov]{.underline}. If you have limited Internet access, many
local television stations, radio stations and newspapers also carry
local AQI forecasts.

#   {#section .unnumbered}

# 

# Ground-level Ozone

Ozone is formed near ground level when pollutants emitted by cars, power
plants, industrial plants, and other sources react chemically in the
presence of sunlight. 

Ozone pollution is a concern during the summer months when lots of sun
and hot temperatures, the weather conditions needed to form ground-level
ozone, normally occur.

In terms of health effects, ozone can make it difficult for you to
breathe as deeply as you normally would, and cause symptoms such as
coughing, pain with a deep breath and shortness of breath. It also
aggravates asthma and other lung diseases, leading to increased
medication use, visits to doctors and emergency rooms, and hospital
admissions.

At elevated levels, ozone is a threat to everyone's health, but those
who are most susceptible include people with lung disease (such as
asthma) and children and adults who are active outdoors.

# 

# Particle Pollution

Particle Pollution is composed of microscopic liquid droplets and solids
that can get deep into lungs and aggravate heart and lung disease.

Particle pollution comes from a wide range of sources, including power
plants, automobiles, wood stoves and forest fires, so levels can be high
any time of year. Symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of
breath, and unusual fatigue.

These particles can affect everybody to some extent, but the most
sensitive groups are children, people with heart or lung disease, and
older adults.

# 

###   {#section-4 .unnumbered}

### 

> **Tips for Unhealthy Air Days**
>
> ![](media/image1.png){width="8.333333333333333e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image1.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image1.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image1.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image1.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image1.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image1.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image2.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image2.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image2.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image2.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}![](media/image2.png){width="8.402777777777778e-2in"
> height="9.930555555555555e-2in"}