COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Air Quality Alert has been extended into Thursday due to smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada blowing into the United States.
The alert was first put in place on Tuesday; they are issued when pollution levels exceed 100 on a 0-500 scale. AirNow, a government air-quality organization, predicts Thursday’s pollution level will reach 129. According to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), "This week is the first time in 13 years that the region experienced USG alert days for PM2.5. The last was in August of 2010,"
Fine particles account for the elevated levels of particulate matter. Tiny smoke particles can enter the lungs and bloodstream, especially with strenuous or prolonged activity, when the smoke is close to the surface. In addition, the buildup of ground level ozone decreases the overall air quality on days with little wind and ample sunshine.
Active children, the elderly, and people with asthma, COPD and heart conditions are more likely to experience symptoms during an alert, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) said. Those at risk are advised to limit their outdoor activity; if you do experience symptoms, contact your doctor immediately.
Symptoms can include headaches, irritated eyes and sinuses, fatigue, trouble breathing, chest pains, asthma attacks, and an irritated throat or increased coughing.
The concentration of smoke particles that drives up the Air Quality Health Index has been historically high in portions of the Ohio Valley and Eastern states since Tuesday, resulting in a thick blanket of haze and hazardous conditions.
Canada is in the midst of one of the worst starts on record to its wildfire season. The current air pollution in central Ohio is the result of wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia transported south by the upper-level winds.
More than active 400 active wildfires are scorching more than 9 million acres, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The plumes of smoke stretch from the Northwest Territory in northern Canada to Arkansas, northern Alabama and the Carolinas.
A combination of extreme heat and little moisture is conducive to wildfires, which ignite in the forests of Canada and northern U.S. A blocking pattern featuring high pressure aloft extends far to the north, with low pressure rotating counterclockwise over the Atlantic provinces in Canada is drawing smoke southward.
A broad region of sinking air warms by compression, further drying the soil, which is conducive to an early, expansive wildfire season.
MORPC says there are actions we can take on Quality Alert days to stay safe and help the environment. "The majority of PM2.5 pollution typically comes from vehicle emissions, industry, and burning activity such as wildfires."
Recommendations include turning off your engine instead of idling your vehicle, not burning wood or leaves on Alert days, and limit mowing your lawn, which will benefit the grass during the current dry spell.
MORPC has information commuting options online with gohio commute.
