It's a matter of life and breath for many Queen City residents.

        When ozone — the chief component of smog — builds up, it can literally take some people's breath away, filling emergency rooms with gasping asthma patients and sending cyclers, joggers and in-line skaters scurrying home.

SMOG ALERTS

Smog Alerts for Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties:     1995.....9     1996..... 7     1997.....5     1998.....9     1999.....7     2000.....1     2001.....4     2002.....4     Source: Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services

        In Cincinnati — which like many cities is experiencing sprawl, regional heat and drought — ground-level ozone buildups have made it unhealthy to be outside for nearly half the summer so far this year, according to a Sierra Club analysis of Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services data.

        If the trend continues, this summer could be one of the worst smog seasons ever and have major health consequences for children and the elderly — those most susceptible to smog-related illnesses, said Glen Brand, the Sierra Club's Midwest regional representative based in Cincinnati.

        “The real issue is the threat to public safety from our dirty, toxic air,” Mr. Brand said.

        According to the Sierra Club's analysis, the air quality in Cincinnati was deemed unhealthy by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for “sensitive groups” — children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems — for 18 days between June 1 and July 9.

        That included six consecutive days of dangerous smog from June 19-24, and two separate three-day periods from June 29-July 1 and July 7-9.

        Today will be another bad day in the metro area, which is under a

        smog alert today and Thursday.

        “We could be on pace to have a year like 1999, when there were 102 violations reported,” Mr. Brand said.

        He was referring to the number of times smog detectors in Southwest Ohio recorded measurements that the EPA considers a health threat to sensitive groups.

        By comparison, there were 33 violations reported in all of last year, and 38 in 2000 — the same number reported so far this year, with nearly six months left to go.

        Cars are the main culprits in the summers of smog.

        Auto emissions mix with smokestack pollutants in the summer heat to form deadly levels of ground-level ozone. But much of the buildup could be prevented, Mr. Brand said.

        “Cars and trucks are estimated to produce 103 pounds of smog per person each year in the Tristate,” Mr. Brand said. “We need more transportation choices like commuter trains and expanded bus service.”

        Those most vulnerable should stay indoors if possible because high levels of pollution can cause major health problems, according to doctors.

        Smog is known to cause difficulty breathing, asthma and bronchitis attacks, chronic lung disease and increase the risk of cancer and heart attack.

        Each year in the Tristate, smog leads to an estimated 390 hospital admissions from respiratory conditions, 1,170 emergency room visits, 57,000 asthma attacks and 760,000 minor symptoms, according to the sponsors of Clear the Air, a national public education campaign to improve air quality by reducing emissions from coal-burning power plants.

        “Many of my families report difficulties in controlling their child's asthma when we have smog alerts in Hamilton County,” said Dr. William Hardie of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. “For children with asthma, smog poses a significant health risk.”

        That's the main reason the Sierra Club wants to raise awareness about smog and its potential dangers, Mr. Brand said.

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