Code Orange Alert issued for metro Atlanta Friday

ATLANTA — A Code Orange Air Quality Alert has been issued for metro Atlanta Friday.

The alert is typically issued when the air quality index (AQI) is between 101 to 150. This means the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and those affected should limit outdoor exertion.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says the code orange is because of the ozone and not the smoke from the recent Canadian wildfires that has caused issues for major cities in the northeast.

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Those affected include people with lung disease such as asthma, children and teens, older adults and people routinely active outdoors for six or more hours a day.

A healthy AQI value is 50 or below whereas an AQI over 300 represents hazardous air quality. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, five major pollutants that can affect the air quality are:

• Ground-level ozone
• Particle Pollution
• Carbon monoxide
• Sulfur dioxide
• Nitrogen dioxide

If you have flexibility in your schedule, Air Now said there might be times during the day when air quality is OK for outdoor activities and that the ozone is often lower in the morning.

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