‘Air Pollution Action Day’ issued for Illinois
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has issued an areawide “Air Pollution Action Day” alert as wildfire smoke moves through the state.
The alert, issued for Sunday, July 19, is declared when weather conditions are forecast to be at or above the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” (USG) category in nearly all Illinois Air Quality Index forecast sectors. Sunday’s alert includes nearly all of the state — except Metro-East St. Louis.
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Beginning Saturday afternoon, smoke/fine particulate matter at levels that could negatively impact air quality is expected to return to Illinois. It’ll likely be in the north in the afternoon/evening, and then drift south overnight.
The IEPA said areas both inside and outside of the alert may experiencing varying degrees of smoke Saturday and Sunday. The smoke may also linger on Monday.
People with respiratory and pulmonary disorders, children, older adults, and anyone who is active outdoors are more at risk to elevated air pollution. Sensitive individuals should follow their doctor’s advice, Illinois officials added. Symptoms that are important to pay attention to include wheezing, coughing, elevated heart rate, tiredness, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Officials also encouraged people to take the following actions to protect themselves when air quality is poor:
Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed
If your air conditioner has a fresh air intake, set your system to recirculate or close the intake
Use high efficiency filters
Avoid smoking or burning candles indoors
Spend less time outside and take frequent breaks
Wear a high-quality N-95 or N-100 mask to filter damaging particles when outside
Anyone with air quality concerns, or those with outdoor plans, should check current NowCast readings on AirNow.gov. To learn more about how to interpret the air quality numbers near you, click here.
You can learn more information on the IEPA’s website and on the IDPH’s website.
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