It's been an ideal summer so far for people who enjoy the outdoors, but warmer temperatures expected this week could lead to health concerns for some.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued an Air Pollution Action Day for Kane, McHenry, Lake, Will, Cook, Grundy, Kendall, and DuPage counties.
Kim Biggs, spokesperson for the Illinois EPA, says this is the second Action Day issued this year related to ozone. She says today's weather conditions are part of the perfect recipe for health concerns among those with respiratory or pulmonary diseases:
"Ozone is a pollutant that requires elevated temperatures and abundant sunlight to be produced. It's a chemical reaction that happens with pollutants. The sun essentially heats those up and produces this ground level ozone."
Biggs says the number of Air Pollution Action Days varies each year. The first Action Day last year wasn't issued until August, but she says there were many more in 2012.
The EPA has issued Air Pollution Action Days since 1995.
Biggs says they are more common in metropolitan areas.
She says the agency determines Action Days one day at a time. Another hot day is in the forecast for Tuesday.
Biggs says the general public should try to reduce electricity and energy use to reduce the impact of pollutants that are put into the air.
More: cleantheair.org, Illinois EPA
