Illinois EPA Issues Air Quality Alert for Chicago, Urges Residents to Limit Outdoor Activity
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an air quality alert for the greater Chicago metropolitan area, warning that ozone pollution levels are expected to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups over the next two days. This alert affects nearly 9.4 million people in the area and is in effect through Wednesday night. A similar alert has been issued in nearby Indiana. Ground-level ozone, which forms close to the Earth's surface, poses risks to human health and the environment, particularly during hot summer weather when emissions from vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities react in sunlight to produce smog. The Illinois EPA advises that active children and adults, especially those with pulmonary or respiratory diseases such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor activity. 
