New episode of ozone pollution in Île-de-France this Wednesday

This Wednesday, the air quality is likely to be very seriously degraded in Île-de-France. The high temperatures experienced in Île-de-France are creating a new episode of fine particle pollution, according to Airparif, an air quality monitoring body. The hot and dry summer weather promotes the formation of ozone, the main pollutant in the air of the Ile-de-France region. The air quality will be “poor in the west of the region”, and degraded in the rest of the territory. Saharan sand is also appearing in the region, and could impact PM10 particle levels.

Faced with this situation, the authorities made several announcements. The regional health agency recommends avoiding outings during the hottest hours, as well as intense outdoor physical activities. In addition, residential parking is free this Wednesday, a measure which contributes to "reducing pollutant emissions into the atmosphere, by encouraging residents to favor public transport" according to the town hall website. Free parking is only possible on the mixed lanes of the 4 zones allocated around the driver's home. The town hall also recommends that the inhabitants of the city use telework as much as possible, as well as favor public transport or carpooling.

Similarly, the police prefecture recommends "reducing the speed of vehicles throughout the region", such as 110km / h on portions of motorways limited to 130km / h in normal times. It also asks residents to avoid "the use of solvent-based products", or certain behaviors that would aggravate the pollution episode, as a general rule.