The Air Quality Index in New York hit a staggering 352, the worst in the world.
, the worst ever recorded in the city. The danger level was color-coded maroon, or “hazardous,” the most severe rating. The air looked and smelled apocalyptic, but how hazardous is “hazardous,” actually, for your health?Smoke pollution is made up of particulate matter called PM2.5, which consists of all microscopic bits of airborne debris smaller than 2.5 microns across,and one-quarter the size of a piece of dust.
Smoke can also contain toxic chemicals like benzene and formaldehyde, but it’s the physical presence of the particles deep in the lung that causes the most immediate effects: irritation and inflammation as the body’s immune system activates to fight what it perceives as an invader. The result is coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath similar to what one might experience as a result of a respiratory infection like the flu.
For people with preexisting conditions such as asthma, allergies, or COPD, the additional stress can worsen their condition enough to send them to the emergency room. Even healthy people, Stowell cautions, shouldn’t go for a run when it’s anywhere above green because higher rates of respiration effectively multiply the concentrations one is exposed to.
When the danger level is orange, red, purple, or maroon, “it’s very unsafe, very unhealthy, and very hazardous” for everyone, Stowell says. “Essentially, it doesn’t matter how healthy you are at that point, because the amount of concentration that is in every breath is going to overwhelm a normally healthy system. Your lungs just won’t work as they normally do.” Her advice: Stay indoors and turn on the AC or better yet an air purifier if you have one.
This week’s air-pollution spike will likely result in a surge of ER visits in the two to three days to come, but for most people, there’s no reason to expect long-term health effects, since a healthy body is able to quickly clear itself of particles and toxins. “Within just a day or two of the air quality being better, you should see most if not all of your symptoms disappear,” says Stowell.
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