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Environment

Ozone Levels Rise

Ozone levels rose in the Quad Cities yesterday, but were still about average for this time of year. The EPA standard for ozone, or smog, is 70 parts per billion. Yesterday, for the first time this year, ozone levels went above that standard, and rose to 71 parts per billion at a measuring station in Scott County Park. 

Todd Russell, an environmental specialist for the Iowa DNR, says the EPA recently changed its measurement standards. 
Russell says healthy people shouldn't be too concerned about this slightly higher level of ozone. 

ozone2.mp3
"The levels that we saw in Davenport..."

Ozone levels are also affected by the weather. Russell says cloudy, cool days are the least smoggy, but hot and windy weather encourages ozone to form.