It’s a bad time to breathe in some parts of the United States right now. With New York City and much of the Northeast in an ominous orange haze and blanket of smoke, the air quality is poor due to hundreds of Canadian wildfires raging for days. Wildfires have triggered air quality alerts in much of the country. Even Charlotte, North Carolina, where I’m from, was shrouded in thick fog yesterday.
But there are some practical and effective steps you can take to protect yourself.
We reached out to air quality expert Dan Westervelt, who studies air pollution at Columbia University’s School of Climate Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and works as an air pollution consultant for the US State Department, gaining insight into how Americans can protect themselves. This is what we learned.
How dangerous is poor air quality?
Poor air quality can be dangerous for everyone – but especially for people with respiratory problems such as asthma, people with lung and heart conditions, the elderly, and pregnant women.
New York and the Mid-Atlantic regions are currently experiencing air pollution about 10 times higher than what health guidelines indicate as healthy levels of exposure. Short-term exposure can lead to adverse health conditions such as coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and stinging in the eyes, Westervelt said, while long-term exposure can lead to chronic heart and lung disease.
Fortunately, there are some effective methods you can use to reduce exposure and potential side effects.
Tried and true ways to protect yourself when air quality is poor
Here are some high-impact steps to protect yourself when faced with air pollution from wildfires and beyond, according to Westervelt.
When you’re inside, you’ll want to:
Close all windows. Run a HEPA-filtered air purifier or air conditioner. Avoid any activities that generate more pollution such as burning candles and intensive cooking. You should too Avoid using a gas stove If you have one.
Limiting time outdoors is crucial when air quality is poor, but if you must leave your home, Westervelt suggests avoiding strenuous activity, such as jogging or running, that results in heavy breathing and wearing a face mask. He recommends N95 or K95, although an appropriate surgical mask can help keep out the majority of particles.
Is using an air purifier an effective way to purify the air?
Although air purifiers have become more popular during the COVID-19 era, experts are divided on how effective they are. Manufacturers in the United States aren’t allowed to market air purifiers as health products, CNET reports Practical test Some have been shown to effectively filter harmful substances from the air – especially if they use a HEPA filter.
According to Westervelt, “For indoor air quality, many air purifiers work well, especially those that use high-efficiency particulate filters.”
He recommends avoiding air purifiers that generate ozone, which would be identified as electrostatic and ionizing air purifiers. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also warns of the dangers of ozoneGenerate purifiers because ozone particles can lead to harmful health consequences such as damage to the lungs.
(learn more About how air purifiers can protect you from wildfire smoke, allergens, and other particles.)
Are there other ways to prepare proactively for bad air quality?
Westervelt says air quality forecasts can be an accurate read on air quality index for A specific area. I recommend airnow.gov As a real-time source for finding air quality data for your city, state, or zip code.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق