Stagnant air mass allowing buildup of dust, pollen and ozone in Midwest

Area health workers are cautioning people with asthma and other breathing difficulties to stay indoors if deteriorating air quality predicted for the coming week causes respiratory distress.

A stagnant air mass allowing the buildup of pollutants covers the Midwest from southern Wisconsin to the Gulf Coast, said Robin Smith, a meteorologist in the Paducah, Ky., forecast office. The resulting haze is dulling sunshine during midday, causing the sun to turn a bright red in the morning and evening and reducing visibility.

"They probably need to stay out of it," said Georgia Gre?million, a nurse practitioner at Cross Trails Medical Center.

Asthma and lung problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can be aggravated by poor air quality, Gremillion said. Summer events like air stagnation and the resulting increase in irritants, as well as heat and humidity, can trigger problems, she said.

There hasn't been an increase in the number of patients visiting the clinic with complaints, she said, but caution is a good idea.

At the Cape Girardeau County Health Center, the pediatric clinic also hasn't seen a noticeable increase in the number of children seeking help, said Nancy Moseley, a nurse practitioner. "It is not any more than usual, but we see some increase this time of year when it gets hot and humid," she said.

If air quality doesn't improve, however, Moseley said she anticipates the numbers will increase.

The haze over the Midwest is visible on satellite images from space, meteorologist Smith said.

Deteriorating air quality forced the issuance of an ozone alert in Evansville, Ind., the only city in the forecast office's region that has air pollution monitors, Smith said. The conditions seen in Evansville are occurring throughout the region, he said.

"This goes quite a-ways up into the atmosphere, and we're talking 15,000 to 20,000 feet," Smith said.

The only chance of relief is an approaching frontal system that could reach as far south as Dexter and Sikeston by late tonight or early Saturday, Smith said. But the arrival of the front is far from certain, he said, as most weather service forecast models indicate it will stall well north of the area.

But if it does arrive, he said, the relief won't last and the current hazy conditions should return by early in the week. If the front does not arrive, he said, the weather service will likely be issuing a heat advisory early next week as temperatures continue to rise in the stagnant air.

Otherwise, he said, "we are really not looking for any relief for the next seven to 10 days."

Ozone at upper levels of the atmosphere protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation and cosmic rays. But when ozone forms at ground level as a result of sunlight hitting automobile exhaust, it adds to the haze that forms smog and creates breathing problems for those with asthma and people who are active outdoors.

"It is quite possible, especially for people with asthma or a lung disorder, that they can detect some difficulty breathing," Smith said. "Even an ordinary person could feel it if they exercising or working outdoors."Dry conditions throughout the region are adding to the pollution problem, putting dust into the air, Smith said. One bright spot in the present situation is that there is not much farm field work occurring at this time of year.

"If we had these conditions in the crop season, farms would be putting debris and pollen and dirt and dust" in the air, he said. "It would be worse if we had these conditions into late September."

rkeller@semissourian.com

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