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Protection from Air Pollution
Even though the Canadian wildfires are relatively far away, their smoke can pose serious health risks. These health risks can manifest in both healthy and at-risk populations. Those without pre-existing medical conditions could experience coughing, difficulty breathing, respiratory irritation and chest tightness. Those with lung disease, heart disease, vascular disease, asthma or COPD could experience magnified versions of these effects, as well as worsening of their typical symptoms.1
Avoiding exposure can be tricky given the miniscule size of air pollution particulate matter, which can be less than 2.5 microns in diameter. For reference, human hair has an average diameter of 60 microns.2 Due to this, protective measures need to be planned in advance and executed properly. Inferior safety precautions can often be as ineffective as no safety precautions at all.
It is important to take the proper steps to protect yourself from the harmful effects of air pollution. Below are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure:
- Stay indoors – The most effective way to limit your exposure to air pollution outside is to stay inside with windows and doors closed. This is even more effective if you use a high-efficiency HVAC filter, like one with a MERV rating of 13 or higher.1 You could also consider CARB-Certified Air Cleaners.2
- Check your local AQI – Airnow.gov has a reliable and easy-to-read dashboard that displays the current air quality index in your area. These indexes come with descriptors for what you should be aware of while the air quality is at that specific level.2
- Avoid high-intensity activity – Indoor activities such as playing games, reading or watching TV should be considered over exercise.1 Keep all potential exercise indoors, and outdoor activities during air pollution events or near high-traffic areas should be as low-intensity as possible.3
- Avoid indoor air pollution – Smoking, using gas stoves, vacuuming and burning candles are all activities that can worsen indoor air quality.4 Doing so may counteract the safety measures you put in place.
- Use respirators – If you need to spend a prolonged period outdoors, consider wearing a NIOSH-approved N95 respirator or a product of equivalent or greater filtering capacity. Cloth masks, paper masks, dust masks, scarves and bandanas do not filter out the particulate matter effectively.2
Featured Article
| Recent Air Pollution Events
Outdoor air quality has become a hot topic recently, most notably with the Canadian wildfires and the unsafe levels of air pollution they produced across large areas of the United States. In this article, we’ll discuss air pollution levels, common pollutants and more!
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Spotlight
| Air Quality with Joseph Musa
Joseph Musa, P.E., is an Environmental Engineer in the Division of Environmental Protection (DEP) and serves as the subject matter expert on issues related to air quality regulations for the NIH Bethesda Campus.
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NEMS Training
Did you know? Approximately 20 PM2.5 particles side-by-side are equal width as a human hair. These tiny particles travel deep into the lungs and can cause severe health effects. To learn more about air pollution, please visit the NEMS Training webpage to view a short (20 minute) NIH environmental awareness training video.
The NIH Green Zone Newsletter is a publication intended to inform NIH staff about the Division of Environmental Protection and NIH Green Teams projects and initiatives. The text contained in this newsletter is not copyrighted and can be reprinted without permission. If you use portions of this newsletter in your own publication, we ask that you please credit the source. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Thank you.
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Division of Environmental Protection | Office of Research Facilities | Office of Management
National Institutes of Health | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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