Lehigh Valley air pollution is forecast Friday as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ - lehighvalleylive.com
Lehigh Valley air pollution is forecast Friday as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ - lehighvalleylive.com
Air pollution on Friday in the Lehigh Valley is forecast as better than Thursday, but still potentially unhealthy.
It’s all due to smoke blowing in from Canada’s out-of-control wildfires on winds from the west to northwest. A more southerly flow is forecast Friday, which has been declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day in the Lehigh Valley, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said.
“Friday begins a transition period, even if for just a few days, of increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms and decreasing air quality impacts from the wildfire smoke,” the DEP said. “The fires continue to burn so even a pattern shift changing local conditions for the weekend does not mean the impacts from smoke are over for the foreseeable future. Conditions will continue to be monitored daily.”
Pennsylvania remains throughout Thursday under a Code Red Air Quality Action Day. Code Orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people; and Red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all. An Air Quality Action Day is declared when the Air Quality Index is forecast to be Code Orange or higher.
On a Code Red Air Quality Action Day, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should avoid outdoor activities, and everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. In Code Orange conditions, children, sensitive populations such as older people, those who exercise or work outdoors and those with lung or respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema, or bronchitis should reduce or eliminate their outdoor activities.
Bethlehem is seen about 1:45 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 29, 2023, from the Lehigh University lookout, through a haze from Canadian wildfire smoke blown into the region.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com
According to data from fire.airnow.gov, 2.5-micron particulate (PM 2.5) pollution from the wildfire smoke as measured at the permanent monitor in Freemansburg showed a peak hourly concentration of 135.2 micrograms per cubic meter at 10 a.m. Thursday, dropping to 79 at 6 p.m. The Allentown area’s permanent monitor showed similar readings, with a peak hourly concentration for PM 2.5 pollution of 131.5 micrograms per cubic meter at 10 a.m. Thursday, dropping to 76.5 at 6 p.m.
All of those PM 2.5 concentrations are in the Red range of 65.5-150.4 micrograms per cubic meter, and in the 151-200 Red range for the Air Quality Index.
The Air Quality Index for particle pollution in the Lehigh Valley is forecast Friday in the Orange at 130, improving to the Yellow moderate range Saturday with an AQI of 70. In Yellow, experts advise extremely sensitive people to consider limiting outdoor exertion.
“Highest hourly PM-2.5 concentrations for the day will occur during the overnight hours with lowest occurring late Friday,” the DEP’s forecast states.
One Bethlehem Plaza in Center City Bethlehem is seen about 1:45 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 29, 2023, from the Lehigh University lookout, through a haze from Canadian wildfire smoke blown into the region.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com
The public is “strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce air pollution when an Air Quality Action Day is declared,” according to the DEP, which offers these tips for reducing ozone pollution:
- Driving less by carpooling or using public transportation.
- Combining errands to reduce vehicle trips.
- Limiting engine idling.
- Refueling cars and trucks after dusk.
- Conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.
Here are some tips for reducing the PM 2.5 fine particulate matter pollution:
- Reducing or eliminating fireplace and wood stove use.
- Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials.
- Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
Stay up-to-date with fire and smoke conditions across the United States at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s fire.airnow.gov and visit airnow.gov for air quality data where you live.
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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
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