Knowing Your Air: Celebrate Air Quality Awareness Week May 6-10

Every May, ACOG, along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) hosts Air Quality Awareness Week. AQAW 2024 will be celebrated from May 6-10. This timeframe corresponds with the beginning of ozone season, wildfire season, and World Asthma Day.

Air quality awareness is more than just understanding why ACOG issues an Ozone Alert. Air quality awareness includes education about the air in Central Oklahoma and what associated health effects might be a concern for the  region.

Ozone season typically runs from April to October. During ozone season ACOG declares ‘Ozone Alert Days’ when the ODEQ forecasts ozone pollution levels will be high.

In 2023, Central Oklahoma finished the ozone season with a design value of 0.071 (a violation EPA’s 0.070 ozone standard) and for the first time in recent years exceeded a 0.070 three-year average, meaning if EPA was designating for the ozone standard today, the Oklahoma City area would be out of attainment.

Individuals with respiratory disease (COPD, asthma, emphysema), the elderly, and children with respiratory ailments are all at increased risk of health problems when ozone and PM2.5 pollution reaches unhealthy levels.

Air Quality Awareness Week provides an opportunity for people to learn about what causes poor air quality and ozone levels and how people can prepare for, and respond to, events and environments with poor air quality – not just during the month of May, but year-round!