Air Quality Alert: Tampa, FL Reaches Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Level
Areazine synthesizes this EPA air-quality advisory directly from EPA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Air quality in Tampa, FL reached an AQI of 105 for ozone on March 16, 2026, placing the area in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category.
What this EPA air-quality advisory tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by EPA on April 6, 2026 and geographically references Tampa, FL. Its severity classification of "low" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Air Quality - determines the informational context it sits in, and which agency or body is the authoritative source for updates.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are air-quality, epa, aqi, Tampa.
Current Air Quality
On March 16, 2026, the reporting area of Tampa, FL, recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 105. The primary pollutant of concern is Ozone (O3), which has reached the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category. Other pollutants measured in the area include Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) with an AQI of 31 (Good) and Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) with an AQI of 9 (Good).
What This Means
An AQI reading between 101 and 150 is classified by the EPA as "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups." At this level, air quality is considered acceptable for the general public; however, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.
Who Should Take Precautions
The groups at greatest risk from the current ozone levels include:
- People with lung disease, such as asthma.
- Children and teenagers.
- Older adults.
- People who are active outdoors, such as outdoor workers or athletes.
What You Should Do
Members of sensitive groups are advised to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. It is recommended to take more breaks and do less intense activities. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. The general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI level.
Source
Data provided by EPA AirNow.
Original source: EPA Official Notice ↗
Related Air Quality
All Air Quality →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this EPA air-quality advisory: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,371 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (low) notices issued closest in time to April 6, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this EPA air-quality advisory.