Air pollution reaches unhealthy levels for some

Air pollution levels will edge up into the “unhealthful for sensitive groups” range in parts of the Inland Empire and in the Coachella Valley Tuesday, the Air Quality Management District warned.

Ozone levels will be at an estimated index level of 111 in the San Bernardino Valley and Coachella Valley, and an estimated 137 in the nearby San Bernardino Mountains.

The AQMD says air quality is designated “unhealthful for sensitive groups” when index levels are from 101 to 150. At this level, active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit
prolonged outdoor exertion.

Ozone levels will be below that level in the rest of Riverside County Tuesday, according to the AQMD, with peak ozone index levels predicted to be about 84 in the Riverside Valley, the Hemet/Elsinore area, and the San Gorgonio Pass area, including Banning and Beaumont.

That is considered “moderate” smog.