Loveland, Ohio – An air quality alert was declared for the Loveland Area on Wednesday, Jun 7, with a predicted level of pollutants to be in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” range of 128. At 3:30 PM this afternoon the quality index had risen to 164 and in the “Unhealthy” level.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has reached the Loveland area.
The AQI is a tool that indicates how clean – or dirty – the air is and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The U.S. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health.
“Unhealthy” means active children, teens, adults, and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
Go HERE to watch in real-time as the air quality deteriorated this afternoon.
Children are at increased risk from air pollution primarily because they spend prolonged periods of time outdoors. What’s more, much of this time is spent playing sports or games, meaning children are not only exposed to unhealthy air for longer periods of time than adults, but also at higher rates. (The more strenuous the activity, the more air intake is required, thus the more unhealthy air that is breathed in.) Since kids’ lungs are still developing, high levels of pollutant exposure can go so far as to cause irreversible damage, including decreased lung-function growth. The fact that about 1 in 14 children (7%) have asthma also puts youth at increased risk. – Source: What “Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups” Means (treehugger.com)
The view, looking East from the Loveland High School’s Tiger Stadium at 3:30 PM on Wednesday, June 7.
What are the Harmful Effects of PM?
Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.
Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including many of our treasured national parks and wilderness areas.
