The Denver area has recorded ozone levels that exceed federal standards for the first time this year, state health department officials confirmed Monday.
Air monitors near Highlands Ranch and Chatfield State Park recorded ozone levels of 0.086 parts per million and 0.085 parts per million, respectively, on June 18. The federal eight-hour standard is set at 0.08 parts per million.
That standard is compared with the average of the four highest readings in a year over a three-year period to determine if the region is in violation of federal Clean Air rules.
“I don’t mean to discount the numbers, but it’s important to realize that those aren’t large exceedances,” said Gerald Dilley, an engineer with the Regional Air Quality Council. “We’re right where we should be for this time of the year.”
Ozone, the main component in urban smog, can cause or aggravate respiratory problems, particularly among the young, the elderly and those with breathing problems.
Last year, none of the Front Range air monitors that stretch from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs measured ozone concentrations above the federal standards, in part because of a wet summer.
In 2003, monitors recorded 17 violations.
The spike in ozone concentrations in 2003 led the Denver area to violate federal rules and prompted regional officials to come up with a comprehensive plan to reduce smog by 2007.
Dilley said current weather forecasts predict a normal summer with average precipitation, which should help combat high ozone levels.
Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-820-1240 or kmcguire@denverpost.com.
