News Release

For immediate release
May 21, 2009

Notice of Smog Advisory

NEWS

Effective immediately a Smog Advisory has been issued by the Ministry of the Environment for the following forecast regions:

Algonquin	Kingston-Prince Edward
Bancroft-Bon Echo	London-Middlesex
Barrie-Orillia-Midland	Manitoulin-Northshore-Killarney
Belleville-Quinte-Northumberland	Niagara
Brockville-Leeds and Grenville	North Bay-West Nipissing
Burk’s Falls Bayfield Inlet	Oxford-Brant
City of Hamilton	Parry Sound-Muskoka-Huntsville
City of Ottawa	Peterborough-Kawartha Lakes
City of Toronto	Prescott and Russell
Cornwall-Morrisburg	Renfrew-Pembroke-Barry’s Bay
Dufferin-Innisfil	Sarnia-Lambton
Dunnville-Caledonia-Haldimand	Simcoe-Delhi-Norfolk
Elgin	Smiths Falls-Lanark-Sharbot Lake
Greater Sudbury and Vicinity	Stirling-Tweed-South Frontenac
Grey-Bruce	Waterloo-Wellington
Haliburton	Windsor-Essex-Chatham-Kent
Halton-Peel	York-Durham
Huron-Perth

Hot, sunny conditions combined with a southwesterly flow of polluted air from the U.S. and local build-up of pollutants are resulting in high smog levels across southern, central, eastern, and parts of northern Ontario.

This advisory will remain in effect until further notice.

QUICK FACTS

• A Smog Advisory is related to the Air Quality Index (AQI), which rates how clean the air is.  The AQI scale ranges from 0 to 100+.  Higher numbers mean higher health risks. 
• A Smog Advisory is issued in your region when the AQI is expected to reach 50 in the next 24 hours.  It can be lifted once the AQI is expected to or drops below 50.
• Smog is made up of a complex mixture of air pollutants, sometimes visible, such as a brownish-yellow haze over cities; sometimes not.  The two main ingredients of smog are ground-level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
• Smog is harmful to the lungs and heart.  Even in healthy people, smog can reduce lung function.

LEARN MORE

Check out the Air Quality Index or AQI in your area.

To help combat smog, here’s what you can do to spare the air .

Learn more about air quality .

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Contacts:	Contact information for the general public:
Kate Jordan, Communications Branch, 416-314-6666	416-325-4000 or 1-800-565-4923/ www.ontario.ca/environment

 

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