Millions of Drivers Told to Avoid Gas Stations 

Millions of motorists in the U.S. have been warned to avoid using gas stations due to concerns about air quality.

Residents in parts of California and Alabama have been issued the advice to help minimize ozone air pollution levels, which at ground level is a harmful pollutant.

An air quality alert has been issued in large parts of Los Angeles County as well as South Coast Air Basin and Coachella Valley, as reported by the National Weather Service (NWS).

People in these areas are advised to try to delay trips to the gas station until the evening.

The alert for the Los Angeles County area is active until 7 p.m. PDT Tuesday, while the one for parts of Southern California is active through 9 a.m. PDT Wednesday.

An air quality alert was also issued for Jefferson and Shelby Counties in Alabama for Tuesday. In the alert from the NWS, people in these counties are advised to refuel cars and trucks after 6 pm.

In Alabama, the alert is a Code Orange, which means that ground-level ozone concentrations are expected to reach levels unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Parts of Georgia are also under a Code Orange air quality alert. An Ozone Action Day alert has also been issued in parts of Colorado, which means that ozone concentrations could reach levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups.

High ozone levels typically occur on hot, sunny days, as ground-level ozone forms when pollutants emitted by vehicles, industrial facilities, and other sources react in the presence of sunlight.

The NWS warned that ozone air pollution can cause respiratory health problems, including trouble breathing, asthma attacks, and lung damage, and that children, older adults, and people with asthma or COPD may be more sensitive.

Those in affected areas are also advised to limit outdoor activities, conserve electricity and set air conditioners at a higher temperature.

People should also limit the use of household chemicals and gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment until the evening hours.

To help minimize ozone air pollution levels, people are also advised to carpool and limit trips.

“Ozone is complex and arises from many sources. Hot summer weather is definitely a contributor in that it sets up the conditions for ozone formation,” Steven Brown, program leader for the Chemical Science Laboratory’s Tropospheric Chemistry program, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, previously told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management via email outside of regular working hours.