Code Orange air quality alert issued for metro Atlanta due to ozone, Canadian wildfires

A Code Orange air quality alert has been issued Tuesday for Atlanta.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Eboni Deon says the code orange is not only because of the ozone, but also the Canadian wildfires that have been burning for weeks.

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Deon says the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups. That includes people with lung disease such as asthma, children and teens, older adults and people routinely active outdoors for six or more hours a day.

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A Coweta County doctor told Channel 2 Action News that it can be dangerous if you’re outside for too long.

“Definitely early in the morning and late in the evening for another reason as well, avoiding the heat and the humidity that also taxes our lungs,” said Dr. Cecil Bennett with Newnan Family Medicine.

“So when you combine the heat, the humidity, plus the smog, the wildfires, it’s a very taxing condition for those with underlying lung disease.”

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