when Wildfires Burns, smoke can travel long distances and reduce the quality of far-flung air, which poses a risk to those who breathe.
Fires burning in one state can make some states even worse, and Canadian wildfires can send smoke to American cities.
Here are some things you need to know about taking precautions against poor air quality caused by wildfires:
What counts as a bad atmosphere?
The EPA Air Quality Index converts all contaminant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better.
Anything under 50 is classified as “health”. 50-100 is “medium”, but 100-150 is unhealthy for a “sensitive group”, and more than 150 is bad for everyone.
Sensitive groups include those with asthma, lung disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Dr. Sanjay Seti, director of the School of Lung Emergency and Sleep Medicine at the University of Buffalo Medicine.
“If you have heart or lung problems, you definitely need to be more careful,” Seti said. “I will not go outside or avoid wearing an N95 (mask) or at least a dust mask.”
Is my air unhealthy?
Sometimes the air is bad enough to see and smell smoke. Even if you don’t see any contamination, it’s unhealthy to breathe.
EPA maintains a Website Latest local air quality information. Purpleair is a company that sells air quality sensors and publishes real-time air quality data, and has an air quality monitoring network of citizen scientists. Granular map Measurements of atmospheric quality for Street by Street.
Joseph Allen, director of Harvard’s Healthy Building Program, says that the best way to get indoor air quality measurements is to buy a monitor.
“These low-cost indoor air quality monitors can be found online almost anywhere now. They don’t cost much anymore,” he said.
What happens if I have to go outside?
For most people, going out for a short period of time doesn’t have a negative long-term impact, Seti said.
Wearing an N95 mask, which has become common during the coronavirus pandemic, will eliminate contamination.
“N95 is going to remove 90-95% of the particles,” said Jennifer Stowell, a research scientist at the Center for Climate and Health at Boston University. “If you have access to a mask with a respiratory attachment, that’s the best.”
If you need to be outside and experience symptoms, experts say you should head to an area indoors or somewhere where air quality is improving. Even if you are healthy, taking precautions is good.
“If you start wheezing like this whispering of the mouth in your chest, or if you’re feeling short of breath, it’s definitely more of a concern,” Seti said.
How do I make an air cleaner?
Close the window and turn on the air conditioner. If there is one, set it to circulate indoor air. Use a blanket to cover cracks that allow outside air to the house, such as under the door.
Finally, replacing the filter in your air conditioner with a Merv 13 filter will help, but you need to make sure it is installed correctly.
“If you happen to have access to an air purifier, even if it’s just an air purifier in your room, try running it and running in a room where you’re doing most of your activity,” Stowell said.
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