Air advisory issued for Las Vegas Valley through Friday

The Clark County Department of Air Quality has issued an air advisory for increased levels of ozone in Las Vegas through Friday.

According to the department, the advisory is for “potentially elevated levels of ozone due to summertime weather conditions that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone pollution in the Las Vegas Valley.”

The department said that unhealthy levels are not currently occurring. Young children, senior citizens, people with respiratory issues, have cardiac disease or smoke are the most sensitive to the elevated levels, the department said.

“Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere and protects earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays,” the department said in a news release. “At ground level, ozone is a key ingredient of urban smog during the hottest months of the year in Clark County.”

The department recommended filling up gas tanks after sunset, avoiding spilling gasoline, using mass transit and to avoid unnecessary engine idling to help reduce the formation of ground-level ozone.

Contact Christian Bertolaccini at cbertolaccini@reviewjournal.com and 702-383-0381. Follow @bertolaccinic on Twitter.