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Stay Indoors: Unhealthy Air Grips Four States
9 Feb
Summary
- Four states face unhealthy air; residents warned to stay indoors.
- PM2.5 particles, linked to wildfires, are causing hazardous air quality.
- Air Quality Index in some areas surpassed 150, impacting everyone.
Hazardous air quality advisories are in effect for hundreds of thousands of Americans across four states, urging residents to remain indoors. Air quality meters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma have registered 'unhealthy' levels for all individuals as of Monday morning. A critical pocket of polluted air, characterized by elevated PM2.5 levels, has formed near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, posing significant health risks. These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, exacerbating respiratory conditions like asthma and increasing the risk of heart attacks.
Across the South, eastern Oklahoma is experiencing an unhealthy air mass over a 110-mile stretch, while a 83-mile area centered over Columbus, Georgia, is also dealing with severely polluted air. These conditions are attributed to recent wildfire smoke combining with stagnant air, a phenomenon where high atmospheric pressure and minimal wind trap pollutants near the ground. In Glassport, Pennsylvania, the Air Quality Index reached 192, and readings in parts of Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alabama exceeded 150, signaling a broad public health concern.
