Air quality affects your health. Ozone and particulate matter, also known as PM, are two pollutants of significant concern in the Bay Area. Ozone is primarily a health problem in the summertime, and PM in the winter.
Poor air quality affects your health.
When pollution is bad, it can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, cause shortness of breath, aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions, and even affect your heart and cardiovascular system. Breathing polluted air for long periods of time can cause more serious health problems.
Two primary causes of poor air quality in the Bay Area are ozone and particulate matter, also called PM or soot. Cars and trucks and other mobile sources are the major sources of ozone in the summertime. In the winter, wood smoke from woodstoves and fireplaces is the major source of PM pollution.
Air Quality Advisory through Tuesday, November 20, due to heavy wildfire smoke impacts in parts of the Bay Area from the Camp Fire in Butte County. See our Wildfire Safety Tips web page.
Ozone
Particulate Matter
Wood Smoke
Air Quality Index
Five Day Forecast
Spare the Air Every Day