NOUS42 KCHS 260852 
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-262100-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EDT MON APR 28 2008

...THIS IS AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK...

THIS WEEK MARKS THE BEGINNING OF OZONE SEASON FOR MANY AREAS IN 
THE UNITED STATES.

EACH DAY OF AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK WILL FEATURE A UNIQUE TOPIC 
RELEVANT TO EDUCATION AND PREPAREDNESS.

TODAY WE HIGHLIGHT TWO TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION...OZONE AND PARTICLE 
POLLUTION. THESE ARE TWO COMMON POLLUTANTS FOUND IN MANY PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY.

OZONE IS A COLORLESS ODORLESS GAS. IT IS THE SAME GAS THAT IS FOUND 
IN THE OZONE LAYER HIGH IN THE EARTH/S STRATOSPHERE WHERE IT
PROTECTS US FROM THE SUN/S ULTRAVIOLET ENERGY. BUT AT GROUND LEVEL
WHERE WE LIVE...OZONE POLLUTION IS UNHEALTHY TO BREATHE.

PARTICLE POLLUTION...OR AIRBORNE PARTICLE POLLUTION...CONSISTS OF 
MICROSCOPIC PARTICLES IN THE AIR. DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE...IT
CAN BE A PROBLEM IN THE WINTER AND/OR SUMMER. LIKE OZONE...
PARTICLE POLLUTION IS NOT HEALTHY TO BREATHE. THE PARTICLES ALSO
CONTRIBUTE TO HAZE WHICH BLURS THE VIEW IN MANY CITIES AND
NATIONAL PARKS.

TOMORROW WE WILL LEARN HOW THESE POLLUTANTS FORM AND CREATE POOR AIR
QUALITY CONDITIONS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK...VISIT US ON THE 
WORLD WIDE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.AIRQUALITY.NOAA.GOV.

$$