Thousands of people in several counties in the state of California in the United States were ordered to remain in their homes and avoid all outdoor exposure since this Tuesday morning due to dangerous levels of pollution atmospheric.
The measure responds to a serious deterioration in atmospheric conditions that reached “dangerous” levels for the health of the population.
Why the air is dangerous in California
According to the monitoring of AirNowa platform that gathers air quality data in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)air pollution skyrocketed in various areas. This is because fine particles (PM2.5) and ozone reached the “dangerous” category for people.
In this way, the EPA warned that when the air quality falls under this category, which corresponds to an index of 301 or higher on the scale of Air Quality Index (AQI)it is recommended that the entire population avoid physical activities outdoors and that people in risk groups remain under protection indoors and reduce their level of activity.
This system rates air pollution according to ranges: from 0 to 50 (“good”), up to 301 or more (“dangerous”), using colors and warnings depending on the risk level.
Simultaneously, other regions of the state, such as southwest and western California County, Imperial and the Coachella Valleywere affected by air quality alerts due to “harmful levels of wind-borne dust pollution,” according to authorities’ advisories.
The EPA indicated on its website that both short- and long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution “has been associated with a wide variety of human health effects, including increased respiratory symptoms, hospitalizations for heart and lung diseases, and even premature death”.
The federal agency stressed that children, people with pre-existing conditions and older adults They are especially sensitive to the adverse effects of polluted air, and require additional precautions in events such as those recorded Tuesday in California.
As noted in state advisories, exposure to “particle pollution can reach deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems, such as asthma attacks, symptoms of heart or lung disease, and an increased risk of lung infections”.
Source: Ambito
