‘Unhealthy’ Labor Day smog forecast in Bay Area prompts air alert

The Golden Gate Bridge is consumed in fog and smoke in July. The Bay Area’s air quality is expected to worsen on Labor Day. The Golden Gate Bridge is consumed in fog and smoke in July. The Bay Area’s air quality is expected to worsen on Labor Day. Photo: Liz Moughon / The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Liz Moughon / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close ‘Unhealthy’ Labor Day smog forecast in Bay Area prompts air alert 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Heavy smog from wildfires and Labor Day traffic is on tap for Monday in the Bay Area, prompting air quality officials to issue a Spare the Air alert.

The air is expected to be rated “unhealthy.”

“The millions of cars on Bay Area roads each day, combined with hot temperatures and ongoing wildfire smoke, are expected to cause poor air quality in the Bay Area,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

He encouraged carpooling and public transit to reduce smog.

The Spare the Air alert will be the 11th in the Bay Area this year.

Smog can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain and asthma attacks, air officials warned. It’s particularly harmful for young children, the elderly, and people with respiratory and heart conditions.

The air district recommended that people exercise outdoors only in the early morning hours, when the concentration of smog is relatively lower.

Smoke from California’s prolonged wildfire season may impact people’s heart and lung function, experts say. A study published in April found that the presence of dense smoke can elevate cardiovascular risk by as much as 40 percent.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov