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Air Pollution Advisory Issued For Hillsborough County

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By MIKE SALINERO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 6, 2008

An air pollution advisory is in effect for Hillsborough County until Wednesday.

The county Environmental Protection Commission today recorded ozone levels of 101 parts per billion at the Simmons Park air monitoring station in South County. That reading is well above the federal standard for ozone of 75 parts per billion.

Levels higher than the standard are considered unhealthy for sensitive population groups, such as the elderly, the very young, and people with chronic respiratory problems.

The conditions that caused today's high levels of ozone, also known as smog, are likely to persist until Wednesday afternoon, said Tom Tamanini of the EPC Air Management Division. Ozone is caused by the combination of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxide in the presence of sunlight. A high-pressure area over the west coast of Florida is preventing vertical air movement that would ordinarily break up the smog concentrations, Tamanini said.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com

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