Nevada County Air Quality Advisory for Sensitive Groups

Published on Jul 24, 2008 - 8:05:41 AM

By: Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD)

This Air Quality Advisory is valid for: Thursday, July 24, 2008 through Friday, July 25, 2008

We are starting to get some moderate smoke incursions from the new fires up in Trinity county. That smoke combined with our high summer temperatures is causing us to experience elevated levels of ozone. In addition to the potential smoke impacts, ozone levels will also vary from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups, possibly even reaching into the Unhealthy category in the late night hours. The highest levels of ozone are more likely during the late afternoon and evening hours. Health risks from exposure to both smoke and ozone are high because ozone irritates the lungs and smoke compounds the problem. The Air District is issuing the following recommendation:

ALL SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS SHOULD LIMIT ALL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OUTDOORS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

The Air District is also recommending that the intensity level of all outdoor sporting activities be reduced at the discretion of the supervising officials and/or parents. We have all had a very prolonged exposure to some very high levels of smoke pollution, so there may be some residual respiratory effects that might surface as a result of high levels of exertion. As a general rule of thumb consider this: If you see smoke and smell smoke, you are most likely breathing unhealthly levels of particulates. The more smoke you see and smell, the higher the unhealthy levels of particulates. Citizens in Plumas county are currently experiencing Unhealthy levels of smoke, and it won't take much to bring that smoke a little further south, so please keep that in mind.

Scientific studies have linked fine particulate matter (smoke) with significant health problems, including premature death, respiratory related hospital admissions, aggravated asthma, acute respiratory symptoms (including severe chest pain, gasping, and aggravated coughing), chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, and work and school absences. Exposure to unhealthful ozone levels can result in chest pain, coughing, nausea, shortness of breath, throat irritation, headaches, congestion and chest discomfort. It may also worsen bronchitis, heart disease, emphysema, and asthma.

Sensitive groups and individuals (those most at risk from exposure to ground level ozone) are the elderly, children, asthmatics, and adults with pre-existing heart and lung disease, pregnant women, and athletes. Additionally, whenever possible, small pets should be brought indoors when outdoor air quality is unhealthy.

Recommendations for Minimizing Smoke Exposure:

- Stay indoors with windows and doors closed; run air-conditioner on "re-circulate" setting. Do not run swamp coolers or whole house fans. It is recommended that heat sensitive individuals use fans for cooling or they may consider leaving the area;

- Minimize or stop outdoor activities, especially exercise, during smoky conditions;

- People in a "high risk" group or those who cannot find adequate shelter from the smoke outside may need to move to an emergency shelter; and,

- Disposable particulate respirators found at hardware stores can be effective at reducing exposure to smoke particles as long as they seal closely to the wearer's face. Look for respirators that have two straps and have the words "NIOSH" and either "P100" or "N95" printed on the filter material. Warning: particulate respirators will not provide complete protection in very smoky conditions. It should also be noted that there is some controversy surrounding the use of particulate respirators because of the many variables that may hinder their proper use.

For current ozone and PM2.5 conditions or to learn more about air pollution go to www.sparetheair.com. Also, current PM2.5 levels in Nevada and Plumas counties can be observed by going to www.myairdistrict.com and clicking on AQI Forecast and then selecting either Nevada County or Plumas County.

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