2011's 3rd Spare the Air Day Set For Today

By Bay City News Service

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced Thursday that today would be the third Spare the Air day issued this year.

"A brief spike in temperatures tomorrow is expected to contribute
to unhealthy air quality in the Bay Area," the district's executive director

Jack Broadbent said in a press release.

The district encourages people to drive less and reduce their energy use, in effect reducing pollution levels and the need for health alerts when temperatures are high, officials said.

There will be a no wood-burning ban in place, and the district is encouraging people to take public transit, carpool, bike or walk to work to reduce energy consumption.

Motor vehicle exhaust and household chemicals are among the materials that contain volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides that combine with oxygen in the presence of heat and sunlight to form ground-level ozone, officials said.

Breathing ozone can cause a number of health problems, officials said, including throat irritation and chest pain, and it can trigger asthma  and worsen bronchitis and emphysema.

People are also encouraged to avoid using gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers, aerosol spray cans or lighter fluid on a barbecue.