What is smog?
What is smog?
Smog days - Corporate actions
Smog days - Individual actions
Did you know?
Number of smog days reported for Halton-Peel since 1993
What is smog?
The term smog is a combination of two words "smoke" and "fog." It was coined by Dr. Des Vouex in 1905 in reference to the smoky fogs in Britain. In the Great Smog of 1952, it was estimated that over 4000 people died.
Smog is a form of poor air quality that may appear as a brownish-yellow or a greyish-white haze. It is generally formed when ground level ozone, fine particles, and other chemicals react on hot, summer days. The most harmful pollutants are ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter that can enter our lungs.
Smog affects both our health and the environment. Members of the population that are most susceptible to smog include children, seniors, and people with asthma, heart, and lung conditions. Common health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
The contaminants that form smog come from the combustion of fossil fuels in our vehicles, power plants, factory boilers, and homes. They are also released through industrial processes, the evaporation of liquid fuels, and the use of solvents and other volatile products, such as oil-based paints. (Top)
Smog Days -- Corporate Actions
- Refuelling equipment.
- The discretionary use of vehicles for work related trips. Telecommute instead.
- The use of gas powered equipment, especially those without catalytic converters which pollute more.
- The use of oil-based paints and other compounds, which emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Road and roof resurfacing activities. (Top)
Smog Days -- Individual Actions
Electricity-Saving Tips (Generating electricity contributes to smog)
- Set the air conditioner to 25oC in summer.
- Turn off your computer and monitor at the end of the day.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room. (Top)
Travel Tips
- Leave your car at home - walk, cycle, carpool, or take public transit.
- Teleconference instead of driving to a meeting.
- Limit car trips by doing errands all at once.
- Stay at work for lunch or walk to a nearby restaurant.
- Turn your engine off while you wait. Idling vehicle engines for 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting.
- Keep your vehicle well maintained, check tire pressure, and drive at moderate speeds.
- Do not drive on empty. Low fuel levels are hard on your car and increase tailpipe emissions.
- Postpone refuelling your vehicle to later in the day when air pollution levels are lower. (Top)
Health Tips
- Wear light clothing at work while air conditioning is reduced in summer.
- Avoid exposure to vehicle exhaust fumes.
- Delay strenuous outdoor activities, which can cause breathing difficulties and eye, nose, and throat irritations.
- Stay indoors if you can. (Top)
Other Tips
- Avoid using gasoline-powered equipment until the alert has passed.
- Postpone mowing to another day in summer.
- Enjoy light meals that require little or no cooking.
- Avoid the use of oil-based products such as paints, solvents, or cleaners. They contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to smog. (Top)
In 2005, the Ontario Medical Association estimated the health impacts associated with air pollution exposure. The estimates for Halton were 190 premature deaths, 540 hospital admissions and 2,010 emergency room visits per year resulting in an estimated $17 million in healthcare costs (not including visits to family doctors) and $13 million in lost productivity costs (as employees were too sick to go to work due to poor air).
One busload of passengers removes 40 vehicles from the road, saves 70,000 litres of fuel and avoids nine tonnes of air pollutants a year.
Ozone in the upper atmosphere protects the earth from the sun's harmful UV rays. Ozone at ground level, where humans live and breathe, is toxic and irritates mucous membranes.
Ground-level ozone can seriously damage crops and forests by attacking the foliage of plants, reducing growth and crop yield.
Cars, trucks, power plants, and manufacturing industries burn fossil fuels, producing NOx. In Ontario, motor vehicles are the largest single source of NOx emissions.
In the early part of the 1900s, smog was actually considered a London attraction by some. Many travelled to the city to experience a 'pea-souper' first-hand. Impressionist painter Claude Monet was inspired by smoggy conditions on the Thames for one of his most famous series. (Top)
Smog days for Halton-Peel since 1993
Year = No. of advisories = Total no. of smog days/duration
- 1993 = 1 advisory = 1 day
- 1994 = 2 advisories = 5 days
- 1995 = 5 advisories = 10 days
- 1996 = 2 advisories = 3 days
- 1997 = 2 advisories = 5 days
- 1998 = 3 advisories = 7 days
- 1999 = 5 advisories = 9 days
- 2000 = 3 advisories = 3 days
- 2001 = 7 advisories = 20 days
- 2002 = 9 advisories = 18 days
- 2003 = 5 advisories = 13 days (June 23, 24, 25, 26; July 1, 2, 3, 4; July 26; July 31, August 1, 20,21)
- 2004 = 6 advisories = 14 days (May 8, 9, June 13, 14, July 21, 22, August 26, 27, September 4, 5, 6, 23, 24, 25)
- 2005 = 14 advisories = 48 days (February 4, 5, 6, 7, April 19, 20, May 8, 9, 10, June 2, 3, 4, June 5, 6, June 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, June 24, 25, 26, June 27, 28, 29, 30, July 4, 5, July 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, July 21, August 3, 4, August 8, 9, 10, September 12, 13, 14, October 3, 4, 5, 6)
- 2006 = 5 advisories = 11 days (May 28, 29, 30, 31, June 17, 18, 19, July 17, August 1, 2, 27)
- 2007 = 3 advisories = 11 days (May 8, 9, 10, May 23, 24, 25, May 30, 31, June 1, 2, 3) (Top)