How to Stay Safe When Air Quality Is Poor
Air quality can be adversely affected by many factors, including heavy vehicle traffic, stagnant conditions amid high temperatures and wildfires. Unfortunately, these circumstances are often beyond your control. Even wildfires hundreds of miles away can produce smoke that winds may carry to your front door. Recognizing poor air quality and knowing how to respond is the best way to protect your and your family’s health.
What Is the Air Quality Index?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administers the air quality index (AQI) system. These ratings measure the amount of pollution in the air using a scale of 0 to 500. Specifically, the AQI is calculated by combining measurements of five major pollutants:
- Ground-level ozone
- Particulate matter
- Carbon monoxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Sulfur dioxide
By understanding what different readings on the AQI scale mean, you can be prepared for the conditions around you:
- An AQI of 0-50 means air quality is satisfactory.
- An AQI of 51-100 is at safe levels for most people, though some who are sensitive to air pollution may be at some risk.
- An AQI of 101-150 poses limited risk for the general public, but those sensitive to pollutants may experience effects.
- An AQI of 151-200 means members of sensitive groups may experience serious health effects, while others are also at risk.
- An AQI of 201-300 means health risks are present for anyone.
- An AQI of 301-500 indicates emergency-level conditions that are likely to affect everyone in the area.
Who May Be at Risk?
As the AQI scale illustrates, the dangers presented by poor air quality can vary significantly depending on whether you’re considered a sensitive group. This term generally includes:
- Children
- Adults over 65
- People with chronic heart or lung disease
- People with diabetes
- People who are, or may be, pregnant
7 Ways to Deal With Poor Air Quality
Understanding how to read the forecast and what different AQIs mean can help you prepare, but you should still take proactive steps to prevent or at least limit the adverse health effects of poor air quality. Consider the following strategies:
- Stay inside | Limit time spent outdoors when AQI levels are high. If you must be outdoors, limit the intensity of your activities. For example, joggers should opt for an indoor treadmill workout to avoid deeply and repeatedly breathing the unsafe outdoor air.
- Mask up | Whether you have to be outside or are concerned about pollutants compromising your home’s air quality, using the right masks can be helpful. Well-fitting N95 and KN95 masks typically provide better filtration in conditions with poor AQI. Cloth and dust masks may not properly filter pollutants.
- Close off your home | Keep windows and doors closed to help keep indoor air quality as healthy as possible. Rolling up towels and placing them at the bottoms of doors may help seal off gaps. If you need to use your air conditioner, set it to the recirculate setting.
- Purchase a portable air cleaner | When equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air filter, these appliances can help remove fine particles from the air and should be placed in areas of your home where people spend the most time.
- Refrain from creating your own particles | If you’re sheltering indoors, avoid reducing your home’s air quality. Smoking, vaping, vacuuming, using certain types of stoves (e.g., gas, propane, and wood-burning), spraying aerosol products, frying or broiling food, and burning candles can all increase indoor air particle levels.
- Create a clean room | Select a part of your home that can be closed off without the need to keep coming and going, such as a master bedroom with its own bathroom. When AQI measurements are concerning, you and your family should try to spend as much time as possible in the clean room. If you have a portable air cleaner, this may be an ideal location for it.
- Rinse off the outdoors | Upon returning home from being outdoors, take a shower to wash particles off your skin and hair.
Summary
When wildfire smoke or other factors cause air quality to dip, it can have significant health consequences, especially for those who may already be vulnerable. By taking appropriate steps and limiting your exposure, you can mitigate these effects. For more information on home safety and wellness resources, contact Lawley today.
