Air quality health advisories remain in effect across Central New York and the rest of the state as wind patterns continue to push Canadian wildfire smoke toward this region. State DEC commissioner Amanda Lefton said we’re stuck for now.
“We expect this to be a multi -day event,” Lefton said. “We expect to continue to see poor air quality in much of the state at least until Thursday. We might see some clearing up happening then.”
The air quality index is averaging in the 100 to 150 range, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Some areas, she warned, will continue to see brief spikes.
State health commissioner Dr. Jim McDonald said we’re dealing with fine particulate matter that’s called PM 2.5, or two and a half micrometers in diameter. For comparison, a human hair is 70 micrometers.
“Two-and-a-half microns is very small,” McDonald said. “Because these particles are very small, they can travel deep into our lungs, and it could cause an irritation. Sometimes it will affect people with asthma, or even people with other lung diseases or people with heart disease.”
People over 65, he said, are also at higher risk. As of Monday, there were no reports of hospitalizations related to asthma or other respiratory conditions aggravated by the smoky air.
As for long-term exposure, “If you're out there every day, there can be an accumulative effect over your lifetime,” McDonald said. “So, it's important to take this seriously and think about adjusting your activities.”
He advised moving indoors if possible if coughing or other symptoms persist.
