Indiana residents advised to turn off their lights amid air quality alert

Indiana state officials have warned residents to turn off their lights due to unhealthy ozone levels. 

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management declared an Air Quality Action Day in effect through Friday for northwest, northcentral and southeast portions of the state.

Air Quality Action Days (AQAD) are days when ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, can build up to unhealthy levels in the outdoor air, according to the department.

The National Weather Service said the AQAD was issued because ozone levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range. 

'Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above,' said the weather service.

Active children, adults, and people with respiratory disease - such as asthma - are advised to limit their time outside.

'Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.,' the weather service said.

'Avoid using the drive-through and combine errands into one trip. Turn off your engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.'

A recent study revealed the fatal effect of breathing in emissions from the use of carbon-belching fossil fuels such as gas and coal.

Scientists said the use of fossil fuels for power generation, transport and industrial processes such as steelmaking caused 5.13 million extra deaths a year worldwide.

Researchers said deadly pollutants in outdoor air include ozone (O3), which is created by reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, both emitted by vehicles, industrial processes and more.

At ground level, ozone causes a smoggy haze typically seen in cities and can cause breathing problems, especially for vulnerable people who suffer from lung diseases such as asthma.

Another nasty pollutant is known as PM2.5 – tiny particles or droplets less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which are invisible to the naked eye and get inhaled with us even realising

Inhaling PM2.5 is already thought to cause asthma, lung and heart diseases and even depressive symptoms, but a lot of its heath effects are still to be discovered.