New App Gives Air Quality Forecast to Sacramento Region Residents

SACRAMENTO, CA, June 1, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has launched an app, which gives daily air quality forecasts and air pollution conditions to residents in the Sacramento region. The new Sacramento Region Air Quality app can now be downloaded for free on mobile devices with iOS, Google Play or Windows app stores.

"This app is our newest tool to help people know what they're breathing and provide a helpful health resource to our residents," said Larry Greene, AQMD Executive Director/Air Pollution Control Officer. "This app gives residents in the Sacramento region easy access to knowledge that will help protect themselves and their loved ones from the harmful effects of ground-level ozone air pollution."

The Sacramento Region Air Quality app features the daily air quality forecast, plus current air pollution readings at monitoring sites in Sacramento County, Yolo County and portions of Placer, El Dorado and Solano counties. These areas make up the federal nonattainment area for the ground-level ozone health standard.

Users will also receive notifications when there is a Spare The Air or wildfire smoke alert in the region. Poor air quality affects everyone, but there is a higher risk for children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma or bronchitis. These notifications are an excellent resource for everyone, but especially those more sensitive groups.

The app's release coincides with the launch of the 21st Spare The Air season, an annual effort by the air districts of the Sacramento region, which runs May through October. The AQMD issues Spare The Air alerts when ozone pollution is forecast to be high and asks people to reduce driving to reduce pollution. This effort also features outreach initiatives to educate residents about how they can help improve local air quality, particularly on Spare The Air days.

For more information about Spare The Air, visit www.SpareTheAir.com. Follow the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District on Twitter (@AQMD), Facebook (facebook.com/SpareTheAirScooter) and Instagram (sacramentoaqmd) to stay updated on the Spare The Air campaign and other air quality efforts in the region.