Clark County Department of Air Quality issues ozone advisory

The Clark County Department of Air Quality issued an advisory for Monday and Tuesday in Las Vegas for high ozone levels and smoke from the Sand wildfire burning in Southern California north of Los Angeles.

The department said smoke consists of dust particles and other pollutants that can aggravate respiratory diseases and add to ground-level ozone formation. People with respiratory problems, cardiac disease, young children and senior citizens may be most sensitive to raised levels of ozone and smoke.

“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 statement. “At ground level, ozone is a key ingredient of urban smog during the hottest months of the year in Clark County.”

Smoke and dust are inhalable air pollution called particulate matter, which aggravates respiratory diseases, the department said. Besides staying indoors to avoid smoke and particulates, the department suggested limiting outdoor exertion, keeping windows and doors closed, running your air conditioner inside your house and car and changing your indoor air filters if they are dirty.

Contact Raven Jackson at rjackson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @ravenmjackson on Twitter.