Due to the warm and sunny weather in recent days, there will be particularly high ozone concentrations in the air across the country on Tuesday afternoon, according to a warning issued by the Interregional Environment Cell (IRCEL/CELINE).
Tuesday's high temperatures will rise to 30°C inland, and in the northeast of the country, temperatures could even rise slightly higher. It will also be sunny and there will be little wind.
"Due to the accumulation of air pollution from the past few days and the warm and very sunny weather, ozone concentrations will rise this afternoon," said IRCEL/CELINE in a press release.
Concentrations will be highest in the centre of the country, including in and around Brussels, and there is a chance that the European alert threshold of 180 micrograms/m³ – the European threshold at which the public must be informed – will be exceeded in certain areas.
Ozone concentrations are highest in the (late) afternoon and early evening. In the morning, ozone concentrations are generally (very) low. Additionally, indoor concentrations are on average half as low as outdoor concentrations.
On Wednesday, the ozone concentrations in the air will still be high but the threshold is not expected to be exceeded. From Thursday 1 August, the air quality will be noticeably better, with ozone concentrations moving towards normal values for the time of year.
Possible health effects
Depending on the concentration of ozone in the air, the duration of exposure, the sensitivity of exposed people and their activity, ozone can cause lung function impairment, irritation to the eyes and the upper respiratory tract, occasional respiratory symptoms such as cough in sensitive individuals, and increased severity and frequency of symptoms in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
"People who are particularly sensitive to air pollution (children, the elderly, people with respiratory problems) should avoid unusual outdoor physical activity between 12:00 noon and 22:00," IRCEL/CELINE said. "When the alert threshold is exceeded, these recommendations apply to the entire population."
