PA air quality Friday update: Latest conditions, how to protect yourself from smoky haze

While hazy skies and poor air quality due to wildfires in eastern Canada lingered across Centre County and much of the Keystone State Thursday, smoky conditions improved slightly as of Friday morning.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality report, State College had been downgraded from a code red unhealthy air quality status Thursday to a yellow, or moderate outlook, as of Friday.

Despite improvement in the skies around Centre County, the state remains under a code orange for overall quality and fire particulate matter, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. State officials expect conditions to continue to improve over the weekend.

In a Thursday update from Pennsylvania state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health, officials advised individuals to remain indoors as much as possible.

“With conditions over much of eastern and central Pennsylvania in the Maroon or Hazardous Air Quality Index, residents should stay inside as much as possible until conditions improve,” acting secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection Rich Negrin stated in the release.

Here’s what to know about the air quality monitoring code, safety measures for individuals and pets, how to build an air purifier and more.

What are air quality conditions in Pennsylvania right now?

According to the Thursday release, state agencies report fire particulates in the code red and code orange range.

“Conditions will likely improve throughout the day, moving the state into the Code Red Air Quality range for eastern Pennsylvania and a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for western Pennsylvania for fine particulate matter,” the release noted.

The agency recommends individuals use airnow.gov to look up information specific to their ZIP code or city. The site also includes resources for Spanish-speakers.

As of Thursday afternoon, the EPA-run search tool indicated code red unhealthy air quality in State College. As forecast, that improved to the moderate, or yellow, level Friday morning.

What do Pennsylvania air quality codes mean?

The state DEP uses air quality index reports to communicate conditions to the public, quality scores range from green to maroon.

Here’s what to know about conditions under each of the categories, according to state officials:

• Maroon (hazardous): All individuals are advised to remain indoors and reduce activity.

• Purple (very unhealthy): Individuals are advised to avoid “prolonged or heavy outdoor activity.” Additionally, those most vulnerable, including children, should stay indoors.

• Red (unhealthy): Those most sensitive should “avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor activities,” and others should limit them.

• Orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups): Those most vulnerable, like the elderly, should limit their time outdoors.

• Yellow indicates moderate air quality conditions, while green indicates good.

What should I do to stay healthy during times of poor air quality?

In addition to eliminating or reducing your time outdoors while the smoke and particulates linger, the state also has several recommendations to improve the quality of air inside your home or office.

Those include:

• Leaving doors and windows fully closed.

• Not lighting candles or other devices that produce additional smoke.

• Running an air filter if you own one.

• Checking and replacing filters on devices, like your HVAC, in your home.

If you do not own a purifier, the EPA provides two do-it-yourself videos to assemble an air cleaner for small spaces.

Will a mask protect me from poor air quality while outside?

Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist at Accuweather, told the Centre Daily Times Wednesday that wearing a suitable N95 or high-quality mask may help protect you.

When choosing a mask or respirator, the EPA provide the following tips:

• Go with a “particulate respirator” that is approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. It should be marked with “NIOSH,” “N95” or “P100.”

• Opt for one with two straps that go over your head.

• Make sure the fit is correct: the nose should fit snugly and the mask should seal tightly around your chin and face

• Stay away from masks with a single strap or varieties with ear loops

The current air conditions caused by the wildfires mean there is no “safer” time of day to be out and about.

“Sometimes poor air quality is caused by ozone, which peaks during daylight hours and drops off in the evening — that is not the case here with the particulate matter from the wildfires,” DEP director of communications Neil Shader said. “Different areas will get different weather at different times so there isn’t really a way to say that one time of day is better than another.”

Be mindful that pets can also be harmed by smoke inhalation, and birds are particularly susceptible, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Try to limit trips outside for dogs and cats when air conditions are subpar.