The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has issued an ozone alert for Friday, for the Tulsa metropolitan area — including all cities and towns in Washington, Nowata and Osage counties.

Air quality is expected to diminish through Friday night with the buildup of ozone near the ground level to unhealthy levels due to light winds and high temperatures.

When winds are light, the vapors from fuels such as gasoline, exhaust from engines, and air pollutants from industrial activities remain trapped near the ground. If sunshine is abundant when these air pollutants build up, a chemical process is triggered that results in the development of ozone near the ground during the afternoon and evening hours.

Here are some tips to keep the ozone levels from becoming unhealthy

• Postpone any unnecessary driving and car pool if possible.
• If you do drive to work, turn the air conditioner in your car off during your morning commute.
• Cut down on extra driving by bringing your lunch to work.
• If you must refuel your vehicle, do it in the evening after the sun goes down or postpone your fueling to another day.
• Postpone running the lawn mower and gas trimmer, the exhaust from these small engines contributes a significant amount of pollution to the air.
• Industrial facilities should reduce pollution emissions as much as possible on ozone alert days.

These preventative measures, performed throughout the Tulsa metro area, can have a tremendous effect in reducing the pollutants that contribute to ozone problems.