As hot, sunny weather continues across Michigan, state air quality officials are warning that the same conditions driving the summer heat are also creating higher levels of ground-level ozone, a pollutant that can pose health risks for some residents.
Alex Kownacki, an air quality meteorologist with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Air Quality Division, said ozone forms through a chemical reaction involving pollutants from vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions.
“Ozone is a warm weather pollutant,” Kownacki said. “You need heat and sunlight because those pollutants react in the atmosphere to create ozone.”…