Air quality reaches hazardous levels in Sacramento. It’s not just from wildfires
Air quality in the Sacramento area reached hazardous levels Tuesday morning, with one air quality index measurement of 484 raising an alarm for anyone who checks those numbers regularly. A reading over 50 is considered moderately unhealthy; anything over 300 is considered hazardous.
Northwesterly winds are bringing smoke and particles into the Sacramento Valley from various wildfires across Northern California. The gusts will increase vertical mixing and pollutant dispersion.
While smoke remains a concern and can produce elevated pollutant levels, the primary pollutant in the air is dust blown by the wind, according to air officials. Gusts near Sacramento are forecast to hit as high as 34 mph Tuesday afternoon and evening.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow map shows it’s a less frequently referenced pollutant, known as PM 10, that has reached “hazardous” AQI levels. Any pollution above an AQI of 300, regardless of pollutant type, is placed in the most dangerous classification of hazardous.
Local air districts said concentrations of PM 2.5, a variety of air pollution most closely associated with wildfire smoke and smaller in size than PM 10, were at “unhealthy” AQI levels around 160 throughout the capital region in the morning, according to SpareTheAir.com. Spare The Air doesn’t track PM 10 levels.
Stay indoors to avoid poor air quality
AirNow recommends everyone stay indoors in areas impacted by poor air quality.
In order to keep indoor air safe, Melanie Turner of the California Air Resources Board recommends residents keeps windows and doors closed. For those running air conditioning, Turner says fresh air intake should be closed and high efficiency filters should be installed or replaced if compatible. Use of indoor portable air cleaners can be helpful, and residents should avoid vacuuming, burning candles or cooking with a gas stove to keep indoor air clean.
Any AQI reading over 500 is considered extraordinarily poor air quality. In parts of Inyo and Mono counties, east of the Creek Fire raging in Fresno County, AQI levels for PM 10 approached 2,000 earlier in the morning. AQI for PM 2.5 also entered hazardous territory, as high as 434 in some areas.
“PM” stands for “particulate matter,” and refers to tiny particles that build up and pollute the air. According to the EPA, both PM 2.5 and PM 10 “can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream,” but the smaller of the two, PM 2.5 particles create “the greatest risk to health” of air pollutants and are also responsible for making the sky hazy.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 12:38 PM.