NEW YORK — For the second day in a row the New York area dawns with gray and orange skies as a result of smoke from Canada’s wildfires. A situation that leads to experiencing problems breathing.
New York City topped the list of top cities in the world with the worst air quality overnight, according to IQAir. On Wednesday morning it was in third place behind Detroit. At that time the concentration of PM2.5 in the five counties is 14.4 times higher than the WHO annual air quality reference value.
Given this, the Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality warning from Tuesday and is expected to continue until Thursday, in which they ask to limit outdoor activity, especially vulnerable populations, including those with respiratory or heart problems. , older adults and children. The air quality advisory is also in effect for the entire tri-state area. There are high concentrations of smoke particles in the air for the entire region.
Air quality level scores in the five boroughs reached 170 on Wednesday morning, according to the US government’s online platform, AirNow. Those levels are considered unhealthy for all people and are significantly above the World Health Organization’s exposure recommendations.
Fine particles in the air are among the most harmful, according to the city site. To give you an idea of how bad the air is, New York City averages 35 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter of air every day. That number shot up to 140-160 around 6 a.m., and after a brief drop, climbed back to over 160 by afternoon. But by 6 p.m., that number had risen to 335, which spells trouble for people with respiratory problems.
“We recommend vulnerable New Yorkers stay indoors and all New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible. This is not the day to train for a marathon or do an outdoor event with your kids. Stay indoors indoors. Close doors and windows and use air purifiers if you have them,” Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday. “If you’re older or have heart or respiratory problems, you should stay inside…and if you have to go outdoors, wear a high-quality mask, like a K95.”
Here we share some recommendations to take care of your health.
WHY SMOKE FROM WILDFIRES IS A HEALTH PROBLEM
Air quality alerts are triggered by a number of factors, including the detection of fine particulate pollution, known as “PM 2.5,” which can irritate the lungs.
“We have defenses in our upper airways to trap larger particles and prevent them from reaching the lungs. These are just the right size to get past those defenses,” said Dr. David Hill, a pulmonologist in Waterbury, Connecticut, and a member of the American Lung Association National Board of Directors. “When those particles reach the respiratory space, they cause the body to have an inflammatory reaction.”
Trent Ford, the state climatologist in Illinois, said atmospheric conditions in the upper Midwest that create dry, hot weather made it possible for small particles to travel hundreds of miles from the Canadian wildfires and linger for days.
“It’s a good example of how complex the climate system is, but also how connected it is,” Ford said.
WHO IS MOST AT RISK?
Exposure to high levels of fine particle pollution can affect the lungs and heart.
The air quality alerts warn “sensitive groups,” a broad category that includes children, older adults, and people with lung diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Children, who are often encouraged to go outside and play, “are more susceptible to smoke for a number of reasons,” said Laura Kate Bender, the lung association’s national associate vice president for healthy air. “Their lungs are still developing, they breathe more air per unit of body weight.”
Breathing smoke can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, stinging eyes, itchy throat, runny nose, headaches, tiredness, chest pain, and fast heartbeat, according to the CDC.
RECOMMENDATIONS DURING POOR AIR QUALITY IN NYC
Smoke from a fire contains a mixture of gases, particles, and chemicals. If you breathe smoke, you may experience temporary irritation to your eyes, nose, and throat. People with asthma or other cardiovascular or respiratory conditions may be more vulnerable to health effects from smoke exposure.
Follow these tips to stay safe in the short term if there has been a fire in your building or in your neighborhood.
- Stay inside and keep windows closed.
- Close the fresh air intake of your air conditioner to prevent outside air from entering your home.
- Clean furniture covered in cloth and other porous materials.
- Be on the lookout for air quality alerts.
- Use an air purifier.
After a fire in your building, odors may take several weeks to clear up. During this time, it is important to thoroughly clean and ventilate as much as possible to improve indoor air quality. - Wear a mask outdoors.
- It is recommended that you run the air conditioner on a recirculating setting.
“If you have filters in your home’s HVAC system, you want to make sure they’re up to date and of high quality,” Hill said. “Some people, particularly those with underlying lung or heart disease, should consider investing in air purifiers for their homes.”
As these conditions persist, and in the days that follow, any New Yorker who experiences symptoms or has worsening symptoms, especially those indicating heart disease or a heart condition, should see their personal physician or seek immediate medical help. If you experience symptoms of respiratory irritation while outside, such as coughing, go inside first to find cleaner air.
To keep in mind with air purifiers:
Air purifiers vary widely in their ability to remove pollutants from the air, although some may improve indoor air quality (PDF). Always follow manufacturers’ recommendations for using air purifiers.
Keep in mind:
- No air purifier can remove all pollutants from the air.
- Most common air purifiers are designed to remove only particles. These purifiers will not affect odors caused by smoke gases.
- The use of ultraviolet (UV) light in air purifiers does not effectively help remove smoke from the air.
- Some air purifiers release ozone gas, a known lung irritant and asthma trigger. These should not be used under any conditions.
2023-06-07 13:56:39
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