What is the Air Quality Index?Here’s how to be safe:

Last September, wildfire smoke in Salem, Oregon, made it almost impossible for residents to look down on the streets, the morning sky glowed an ominous orange, and the air quality index surged to nearly 500. United States throughout the year.

However, it is not only in such extreme situations that air pollution can endanger the outside world. For example, a reading of 100 acts as a warning to people with respiratory illness who take precautions.

Therefore, understanding the air quality index will help protect you from the harmful effects of air pollution. Here’s a guide to how it works.

What is the Air Quality Index?

The Air Quality Index measures the densities of five pollutants. Surface ozone, Particulate matter, Carbon monoxide, Nitrogen dioxide,and Sulfur dioxide.. It was founded by the Environmental Protection Agency as a way to convey to Americans the cleanliness of the air they breathe every day.

How do you read the air quality index?

The index runs from 0 to 500. The higher the number, the higher the level of air pollution. If you register a number less than 100, air pollution is below a level known to cause adverse health effects.

When the index is above 101, the outside air remains safe for many, but the elderly and children are at increased risk. People with heart or lung disease can also be at greater risk. Numbers above 200 are considered “very unhealthy”.

The index is also divided into six color-coded categories, with green and yellow representing the best, and orange, red, purple, and maroon levels showing gradual deterioration.

Wildfires are a common cause of long-term unhealthy air. In 2020, smoke from wildfires pushed the index to over 400. Around Portland,ore. level Hovering in the San Francisco Bay Area Between 200 and 300..

But last year, no city was as persistent in reading as Salem, according to NASA Chief Scientist Robert Lord. Berkeley Earth, An independent organization focused on environmental data science.

What is the best way to track up-to-date pollution measurements?

AirNow Is a website and app operated by EPA. There are individual fire and smoke maps that use portable sensors to track smoke eruptions. This is a handy tool to help you and your family avoid dirty air in the event of a wildfire.

What are the negative effects of poor air quality?

Even if the daily air quality level isn’t listed as dangerous, some experts say you may still feel bad. The effects of air pollution can be mild, such as inflammation of the eyes and throat, or serious, including heart and respiratory problems. Contamination can cause inflammation of lung tissue and increase its vulnerability to infections, so they can prolong even after the air is clean.

During the wildfire season, fine particles in soot, ash, and dust can fill the air.

The Air Quality Index tracks this contamination with a measurement known as PM2.5 that quantifies the concentration of particles less than 2.5 micrometers. Inhaling these small spots may increase the risk of heart attack, cancer, and acute respiratory infections, especially in children and the elderly.

Wildfire smoke also contains a clear mixture of particles that activate inflammatory cells deep in the lungs and interferes with other cells that may later weaken the inflammatory response, resulting in standard urban air pollution. Some studies suggest that it may be more toxic to the lungs.

Also, during the summer, the combination of smoke pollutants and high temperatures can generate more ozone pollution.

How can I stay healthy when the air quality is poor?

• If possible, stay indoors with windows and doors closed.

• If you are using an air conditioner, run it continuously, not in an automatic cycle. It is also helpful to close the fresh air intake to keep smoke out of the house. If your system allows it, install a high efficiency air filter that is classified as MERV13 or higher.

• Portable air purifiers can also reduce particulate matter in the room in tight spaces. The New York Times company Wire Cutter Recommendations..

• Avoid fried foods that can increase smoke in the room.

• Avoid intense outdoor activities such as lawn exercise and mowing.

• Do not smoke.

• Outdoor exercise is a great way to stay healthy, but the air quality index range of 101-150 is probably the highest level you can stay safe.

Is a mask useful?

a little. N95 respirator mask, Wear properly, Some particles can be removed with a filter. However, it provides little protection from the harmful gases of wildfire smoke, such as carbon monoxide. To reduce the risk of coronavirus spread and infection, the looser facial coverings that some of us now wear provide negligible protection against wildfire pollutants.

What is the general air quality in the United States?

According to 2019 EPA data, about 82 million Americans, 25% of the population, lived in counties with air quality levels above one or more safe levels. Air pollutants, Like particulate matter and ozone.And researchers I found Colored races are disproportionately exposed to more pollution from almost all sources of pollution.

The national average air quality index for 2020 was 40, According to IQAir, Swiss air quality technology company. Twenty-two countries have cleaner air than the United States, and 83 have worsened.

But overall, last year there was less air pollution and the coronavirus pandemic slowed factories, industry and travel. In early June, California cities dominated the IQAir index of the most polluted cities in the United States.

What is the effect of poor air quality on people infected with Covid-19?

Both Covid-19 and smoke are dangerous combinations as they affect the respiratory system and make people exposed to the virus more vulnerable.

Research also shows In areas with poor air quality, infection with the coronavirus increases the chance of death. Also, coughing, dyspnea, and headaches are symptoms that can be caused by both virus and wildfire smoke exposure, making it more difficult to determine which is the cause.

Smoke can also make people more vulnerable to the coronavirus because the lungs lose some of their ability to fight the infection.