Spare the Air Day in Effect Wednesday

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a "Spare the Air" alert for Wednesday, warning of unhealthy pollution levels and asking residents to take public transit.

Wednesday will be the region's eighth Spare the Air alert of the year, according to the district, and the fifth this month.

Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the air district, said high temperatures and light winds are hurting air quality in the Bay Area this week.

District officials said that car exhaust, industrial emissions and household chemicals contain volatile organic compounds that can combine with oxygen in the heat and create ground-level ozone.

"As hot weather returns to the Bay Area, it's important that residents continue to do their part to reduce pollution by carpooling, taking public transit, going easy on energy use and making other clean-air choices," Broadbent said in a statement.

Here is a list provided by the district of simple things the public can do to make clean air choices every day:

• Bike to work or around town
• Take public transit
• Work at home or telecommute
• Carpool and link your errands to reduce driving
• Avoid using gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers
• Reduce household energy use
• Don’t use lighter fluid on the barbecue
• Avoid using aerosol spray cleaners, paints and hairspray

By Bay City News and Bay Area Air Quality Management District