Air quality poor in Hudson Valley, residents advised to stay inside
The smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting south is continuing to affect primarily those described as being sensitive to impurities in the air Wednesday.
And early Wednesday afternoon, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the statewide air quality health advisory was being extended for another 24 hours, through midnight on Thursday.
The latest air quality index issued by the state DEC indicates the entire Hudson Valley is unhealthy for sensitive groups. This includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, as well as the Upper Hudson Valley.
Gov. Kathy Hochul recommended Wednesday that schools postpone outdoor activities.
"The State Department of Environmental Conservation and State Department of Health have issued air quality warnings since Monday, and according to the most recent forecast, much of the state outside of the North Country is expected to be in an air quality index of unhealthy to very unhealthy today," Hochul said in a news release. "Additionally, my administration has been in contact with the cities of Syracuse, Rochester and New York. I support their decisions and the decisions of other districts to suspend outdoor school activities and strongly urge those who have not yet done so to follow suit."
The technical term for this kind of pollution is fine particulate matters - tiny solid particles or liquid droplets - that can come from several sources, ranging from vehicle engine combustion, to power plant discharges, to fires.
Residents advised to stay inside
Westchester County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler issued a recommendation that all residents limit strenuous activity and that those with respiratory conditions or heart disease or those who are very young reduce their time outdoors.
"This may be a good day to skip that outdoor run," Amler said in a news release Wednesday.
Other counties like Rockland, Orange and Dutchess offered similar messaging to residents to stay inside, especially if you have an existing health condition that could be impacted by the poor air quality.
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Some events in and around the Hudson Valley were postponed or canceled. High school boys lacrosse championships scheduled to be played in Cortland and Albany on Wednesday were postponed to Thursday. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association announced it would not play games outdoors with an Air Quality Index above 100. Parts of New York were above 200 AQI Wednesday morning with the Hudson Valley generally hovering in the 150-180s.
Westchester County cancelled all county-sponsored outdoor events scheduled for Wednesday, and encouraged other organizations to do the same.
Westchester County also was recommending that all county employees who are required to work outdoors wear masks. While not making masks mandatory, the county said it "strongly encourages" their use "as an additional layer of protection against the compromised air quality."
The Air Quality Index has six levels: satisfactory; acceptable; unhealthy for sensitive persons; unhealthy, which can also affect members of the general public who do not have serious health issues; very unhealthy; and hazardous.
A glance at noon at AQI data available on AirNow, a partnership of various government agencies, showed the New York City Reporting Area at 183 (unhealthy). That area would include places like Yonkers, White Plains, Mount Vernon and New City. The Lower Hudson Valley was at 160 (unhealthy) and would include places like Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Monticello.
In Dutchess County, while noting the Air Quality Health Advisory for the region, the county also canceled its Office for the Aging's senior picnic in Fishkill.
What to watch for
The DEC says short-term exposure to this air can cause short-term health effects such as eye, nose and throat irritation; coughing; sneezing; a runny nose; and shortness of breath.
Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matters can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease.
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People with asthma should follow the action plans established by their doctor or other healthcare professional, and keep a supply of quick relief medication handy.
Going indoors and remaining there might help, the DEC said, but there also can be places where indoors presents concentrations of particulate matters, such as places were tobacco is being used, or there is candle or incense smoke, or fumes from cooking.
When possible, the DEC recommends using mass transit, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of the pollution in our cities.
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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: What's up with the air and the sky and should you go outside?
