By Adeel Hassan NY Times, Aug. 6, 2021
The Air Quality Index measures the density of five pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. It was established by the Environmental Protection Agency as a way to communicate to Americans the cleanliness of the air they are breathing each day. Read more
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for fine particulate matter for Tuesday, July 20, 2021, in the following areas of Pennsylvania:
• The southeastern counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia;
• The Lehigh Valley-Berks Area which includes the counties of Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton;
• The southcentral counties of Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York; and
• The southwestern counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland.
Smoke from wildfires in northern and western Canada, along with light winds, will likely contribute to daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter in the Code Orange range on Tuesday.
| Air Quality Action Day has been declared for Susquehanna Valley, PA, on Sunday, Jun 6 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomorrow’s Forecast | ||||
| Sunday, Jun 6: | 110 AQI | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups |  | Ozone |
| 56 AQI | Moderate |  | Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) |
*** Sunday’s forecast: Conditions will be favorable for ozone concentrations on Sunday to climb into the code ORANGE range. Light southwesterly flow around a strong area of high pressure combined with sunny skies will allow for the rise in concentrations. Fine particulate will also go into the lower moderate range as well.
Residents and businesses within the ozone Air Quality Action Day area are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce air pollution by:
• Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature;
• Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;
• Limiting engine idling; and
• Refueling cars and trucks after dusk.
This forecast is brought to you by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP).
American Lung Association issues its “State of the Air” report.
www.pennlive.com/news/2021/04/threats-of-breathing-polluted-air-in-central-pa-remains
Our PurpleAir network helps us understand local air pollution. PurpleAir provides continuous monitoring for particulate pollution. Read our Guest Editorial in Cumberlink.
View the recent CAB Zoom meeting where we discuss the air pollution caused by western wildfires and the readings at air quality monitors around major cities on the west coast. https://cleanairboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Wildfires.mp4
Wildfires can cause temporary large increases in outdoor airborne particles, and substantial increases in gaseous air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde. Large wildfires can increase air pollution over thousands of square kilometers [or thousands of square miles].
A high-tech sensor network brought me closer to the natural cycles of my environment.
NY Times, Sept. 4, 2020.
By
Contributing Opinion Writer
Washington Post, July 14, 2020. By Dino Grandino. More than a dozen states are teaming up to boost sales of pickup trucks, school buses and big rigs that run entirely on electricity and do not pump climate-warming pollution into the air. Leaders from Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and 10 other states, […]
Over the past several weeks, NASA satellite measurements have revealed significant reductions in air pollution over the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast United States. Similar reductions have been observed in other regions of the world. These recent improvements in air quality have come at a high cost, as communities grapple with widespread lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders as a result of the spread of COVID-19. Read more …
