Residents of the eastern U.S. who aren’t used to the effects of wildfires are getting firsthand exposure this week, as smoke and air pollution from fires in Canada make their way across the Midwest, Ohio Valley, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic.
Destructive fires in western states have sent smoke sailing east before. But this week’s Canadian fires brought the worst air quality on record for some U.S. cities, with air quality scores in New York City and Toronto among the worst in the world. Experts have urged extra caution: The smoke from large fires fills the air with tiny particles, and when those particles settle low enough, they can be harmful for humans to breathe. Millions of people are currently under air quality advisories, and the threat of more fires looms in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Wildfire smoke again hits the East Coast. How bad is it for your health?
The full health effects of breathing polluted air are still unknown. But studies have shown that exposure to fine particles in the air is linked with heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes, the Environmental Protection Agency reports. Children, the elderly and people with diabetes, heart disease or respiratory disease are particularly vulnerable to adverse effects from dirty air. Those with asthma or other respiratory illnesses may notice the impact of polluted air right away, and Harvard University researchers published a study showing higher numbers of coronavirus covid-19 cases and deaths among people exposed to wildfire smoke.
The good news: Government agencies have air-quality monitors spread out across the country, and they share the data they collect with the EPA. Combine that with air-quality measurements from at-home sensors like PurpleAir, and you’ve got a pretty good picture of air quality in a given area. Just pick up your phone and apps like the EPA’s AirNow, and they will report local air quality and let you know whether it’s safe to spend time outside.
These apps measure air quality using a 500-point scale called the U.S. Air Quality Index, or AQI. Numbers zero to 50 are considered “good” and 51 to 100 “moderate.” Any number over 100 is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” like children, the elderly and people with heart or lung disease, according to the EPA. With any number above 200, the AirNow app recommends members of sensitive groups stay indoors.
If you want to add an air-quality check to your morning routine, here are four apps that make it easy.
- For NBC meteorologist Rob Mayeda, the EPA’s AirNow app is his tool of choice. It’s also the most thorough.
- PurpleAir sensors are great for hyperlocal information and minute-by-minute updates, but EPA researchers found that the sensors tend to overestimate AQI numbers, making air appear worse than it is.
- The BreezoMeter app rates the amount of pollen from three sources — trees, weeds and grass — on a 1-to-5 scale.
- The app AirCare offers a “child mode” complete with a simplified interface and cute mascot, but if you’re encouraging your kids to check on the air quality before heading outdoors, their smartphone’s built-in weather app is your best bet.
