EXCLUSIVE: How Bad Is YOUR Air Quality? Free Tools to Check Pollution Levels in Your Area as Canadian Wildfires Send Smoke Across the US
Key Highlights :
As smoke from more than 400 Canadian wildfires fills the air across the US, DailyMail.com has uncovered free online tools and apps that let you know how polluted the air is in your area, allowing you to see if it is safe to go outside. Wednesday was the worst wildfire pollution event in recent US history, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning the public of headaches, stinging eyes and other health issues that may arise after being outdoors. Tiny particulates from wildfire smoke can enter the lungs and then the bloodstream.
So how can you stay safe? DailyMail.com has rounded up the best free online tools and apps that will help Americans as smoke from Canadian wildfires fills the air. From Purple Air to AirNow and Google Maps, here are the tools you need to check your air quality for the next week.
Purple Air
Purple Air is a web-based service that gets you real-time air quality data from sensors located all around the globe. The service uses a laser particle counter that can count suspended particles in sizes that are processed by the sensor using an algorithm to calculate the PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 mass concentration. The smoke from the Canadian wildfires is filling the air with tiny particles called PM2.5, measuring around 2.5 micrometers. In comparison, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a single human hair is about 70 micrometers, and the human eye can't see anything smaller than 25 micrometers.
AirNow
The US government runs the app Air Now, which provides real-time air quality information for over 500 cities. The app, developed by the EPA, automatically displays the current AQI (Air Quality Index) for your local area or any area you wish to check and allows you to store multiple locations for quick reference. AirNow is available on iPhone and Android.
Google Maps
Google Maps is a great service for those who do not want to download an app just to check the air quality. The tech giant launched the feature in 2017 at a street level and rolled it out to Maps in 2022 in the app and the desktop version. Using data gathered from agencies like the EPA, Google Maps displays an AQI overlay on the map grid to show how healthy the air in the area is.
AQI to Cigarettes Calculator
An online calculator takes the AQI + hours of exposure and tells you the impact on your health in terms of cigarettes. The calculator uses PM 2.5 particle concentration — the number of particles in the air that are a specific size. The health impact of a particle concentration of 22μg/m3 per 24 hours is equivalent to about one cigarette. Breathing in the air in New York on Wednesday was like smoking 22 cigarettes. New York City had the worst air quality of any major metro area — ahead of New Delhi, India, Doha, Qatar and Baghdad, Iraq. Most of New York state and all of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Vermont are under an air quality alert.
Kids, older adults, and pregnant people with cardiovascular or respiratory diseases must be especially careful. Rule of thumb: You're exposed if you can see or smell smoke.
By using these free online tools and apps, you can stay safe and informed as smoke from Canadian wildfires fills the air across the US. Stay safe and check your air quality with these helpful resources.
