DENVER — Sizzling summer temperatures return this week to the Denver metro, and with them return concerns about air quality in the front range corridor.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) declared an Ozone Action Day Alert on Sunday, lasting into Monday, due to a baking summer sun and anticipated air quality.
As the summer is early, the air quality is said not to be too bad yet, but could be dangerous for at-risk residents, including elderly and those with asthma.
According to the CDPHE, these are tips to help reduce pollution for all residents:
At Home:
- Tightly cap all solvents (paint thinners and strippers, degreasers, and some cleaning products). Solvents contain pollution-causing vapors.
- Postpone painting, stripping and refinishing projects to avoid the morning and mid-day summertime heat. Better yet, wait until the Fall or Spring.
- Use water-based products (paints, stains and sealants).
In the Yard:
- Delay mowing your lawn to another day. Don't mow, let it grow!
- Avoid using high-emitting, gasoline-powered yard equipment. Electric alternatives are an efficient, environmentally-friendly alternative.
- Use an electric starter or a "charcoal chimney" to start your barbeque grill. Lighter fluid contains a lot of harmful vapors that escape into our air and contribute to summertime air pollution.
On the Go:
- Stop at the click when refueling your car. Overfilling your tank often results in fuel spills and always allows unnecessary pollution-causing vapors to escape into our air.
- Refuel in the evenings after dusk. By refueling after the sun goes down, fuel vapors do not have as much of a chance to "cook" in the mid-day sun and become harmful ground-level ozone.
- Maintain your vehicle. A poorly-maintained vehicle can pollute as much as 25 times more than a well-maintained one.
