Outdoor Air Quality - Washington State Department of Health

The main sources of outdoor air pollution in Washington State are motor vehicles, outdoor burning, and wood smoke. Gas and diesel-powered equipment, ... Skiptomaincontent   VisitourCOVID-19pageforthelatestupdates,vaccineinformation,testinglocationsanddatadashboard.   VisitourCOVID-19pageforthelatestupdates,vaccineinformation,testinglocationsanddatadashboard. Home  CommunityandEnvironment>AirQuality>OutdoorAir AirQuality IndoorAir OutdoorAir Section:SmokeFromFiresSmokeFromFires SmokefromFiresToolkits EmergencyResponse/LimitingPersonnelExposure Itisimportantthatthepublicpostponealloutdoorburningatthistime.Openburningcreatestheriskofanescapedfireandputspressureonemergencypersonnel.AsWashingtoncontinuestoexperiencecommunity-widespreadofCOVID-19,thereisaneedtominimizeanyadditionalpressureonouremergencypersonnelbothintermsofemergencyresponseandunnecessarypotentialcontactwithpeoplewhomayhaveCOVID-19. Healthimpact Alloutdoorburningisdiscouragedatthistime.SmokefromevenasmallfirecanaggravaterespiratoryconditionsandnegativelyimpactpeoplewhoarealreadysufferingfromtheeffectsofCOVID-19. SourcesofOutdoorAirPollutionandHealthImpacts Español WhataresourcesofairpollutioninWashington? Whatisozone(O3)? Whatisfineparticulatematter,orPM2.5? Whatiscarbonmonoxide(CO)? What arenitrogenoxides(NOx)? Whatissulfurdioxide(SO2)? Whatareairtoxins(alsocalledhazardousairpollutants)? Whoismostaffectedbyairpollution? Whatistheairqualityinmycommunity? WhatdoestheDepartmentofHealthrecommendtoschoolswhenairpollutionlevelsarehigh? WhataresourcesofairpollutioninWashington? ThemainsourcesofoutdoorairpollutioninWashingtonStatearemotorvehicles,outdoorburning,andwoodsmoke.Gasanddiesel-poweredequipment,someindustriesandwildfiresalsocontributetoairpollution.Airpollutioninyourcommunitydependsmostlyonlocalsources;however,sometypesofairpollutioncantravelmanymilessuchasozoneandsmokefromwildfires.Airpollutioncanvarybytimeofyeardependingonweatherandseasonalsourcessuchaswoodstoves.Youcancheckcurrentairqualityconditionsandburnbansinyourarea.Findoutmoreaboutairqualityintheregionandsourcesofairpollutionnearyoufromthecleanairagencyinyourarea.  Whatisozone(O3)? Ozoneisthemaincomponentofsmogandoccursmostlyduringthesummer. Ground-levelozoneisformedintheenvironmentfromthereactionofvolatileorganiccompounds(VOCs)andnitrousoxides(NOx)inthepresenceofheatandsunlight. Ground-levelozoneisseparatefromtheozonelayerthatprotectstheearthfromUVradiation. Healtheffectsofozone:Ozoneirritatestherespiratorytractwhenyoubreatheit.Ozonecancausewheezingandshortnessofbreath,chestpain;aggravatebronchitis,emphysemaandasthma;reducelungfunction;andincreasesusceptibilitytorespiratoryinfections. Moreinformation:OzonePollution(U.S.EPA) Whatisfineparticulatematter,orPM2.5?  PM2.5referstoairborneparticles2.5micrometersorsmallerinsize(PM2.5),andisalsocalledfineparticulatematter.  PM2.5causesregionalhazethatreducesvisibilityinsomeareas. MajorsourcesofPM2.5includevehicleexhaust,powerplants,woodstoves,wildfiresandsomeindustries. PM2.5canbeformedintheenvironmentfromothertypesofairpollutantsincludingsulfurdioxide(SO2)andnitrogenoxides(NOx). Healtheffects:PM2.5issosmallitcanbeinhaleddeepintothelungandcancauseavarietyofserioushealthproblems.PM2.5hasbeenlinkedtodecreasedlungfunction,increasedrespiratorysymptomsincludingasthmaattacks,aggravatingexistingheartdisease,nonfatalheartattacks,irregularheartbeatandprematuredeathamongpeoplewithexistingheartandlungconditions. Moreinformation:ParticulateMatterPollution(U.S.EPA),AirQualityGuideforParticlePollution(U.S.EPA),ParticlePollution(CDC),HealthImpactsofFineParticlesinAir(CDC),SummaryofHealthResearchonUltrafineParticles(PDF) Whatiscarbonmonoxide(CO)? ThemajorsourcesofCOincludevehicleexhaustandwoodsmoke. Carbonmonoxidecanalsobeaseriousindooraircontaminant.Indoorsourcesincludefurnacesorboilers,keroseneheaters,wood-burningstovesandfireplaces,gasranges,gas-poweredappliancesandspaceheaters,improperuseofgeneratorsandgrillsinsideandimproperlyventedcarexhaust. Healtheffects:Carbonmonoxideinterfereswiththebody’sabilitytoabsorboxygenintothebloodstream.PeoplewithexistingheartdiseaseareparticularlysensitivetohealthimpactsfromCO. ExposurestoCOcanresultinreducedoxygentotheheartandcausechestpain.   Moreinformation: CarbonMonoxide(U.S.EPA) What arenitrogenoxides(NOx)? Nitrogenoxidesreferstoagroupofcompoundsthatincludenitrogendioxide(NO2). NOxcontributetotheformationofozoneandPM2.5airpollution. Majorsourcesincludevehicleexhaust,powerplants(thatburnfossilfuel),andnon-roadequipmentincludingtrains,dieselandgas-poweredconstructionequipmentandgas-poweredlawnandgardenequipment. Healtheffects:NOxisarespiratorytractirritantandhasbeenassociatedwithasthmaattacksandotherrespiratoryproblemsandincreasedhospitalvisitsforrespiratoryconditions.  Moreinformation:NitrogenoxidesPollution(U.S.EPA) Whatissulfurdioxide(SO2)? O2isaprimarycomponentofacidrain. ThemainsourcesofSO2arepowerplantsthatburnfossilfuels,refineriesandotherindustries. Healtheffects:SO2cancauserespiratoryproblemsincludingincreasingasthmasymptoms.  Moreinformation:SulfurdioxidePollution(U.S.EPA) Whatareairtoxins(alsocalledhazardousairpollutants)? Airtoxicsconsistof187pollutantsincludingsolventsandothervolatileorganicchemicals,otherindustrialchemicalsandindustrialby-products,combustionproducts,andmetalsincludingmercury. AirToxicsareregulateddifferentlythanU.S.EPA’ssixcriteriapollutants(PM,O3,NOx,SO2,COandlead)becausetheydonotimpactlargeregionsandcomefrommanydifferentsources. Themajorsourcesofairtoxicsincludevehicleemissions,factories,refineries,andpowerplants. Healtheffects:AirToxicsincludesawiderangeofairpollutantsthatarelinkedtocancerandotherserioushealthproblems.  Moreinformation:HazardousAirPollutants(U.S.EPA),AirToxics(Ecology) Whoismostaffectedbyairpollution? Airpollutioncanaffecteveryone,butsomegroupsareespeciallysensitive. Theseinclude: Children Olderadults(overage65) Peoplewithexistinghealthconditionsincluding: respiratoryinfections respiratorydiseasesincludingasthmaandCOPD heartorcirculatorydisease diabetes ahistoryofstroke. Whatistheairqualityinmycommunity? Checkwithyourlocalcleanairagencyforinformationaboutairpollutioninyourarea. Checkcurrentairqualityandindustryemissiondatainyourarea. Checkandfollowburnbansforyourarea. Replaceuncertifiedwoodstoves.UncertifiedwoodstovesarebannedinPierceCounty. Avoidburningyardwasteandothervegetation,especiallyinurbangrowthareaswhereburningisbanned. Drivelessanddon’tletyourcaridle. Useelectricyardequipmentinsteadofgas-poweredequipment. WhatdoestheDepartmentofHealthrecommendtoschoolswhenairpollutionlevelsarehigh? Whenairpollutionlevelsarehigh–seeAirPollutionandSchoolActivitiesGuide. DepartmentofHealth AsthmaandtheEnvironment SchoolActivitiesGuide SmokeandHealth MoreResources AirQualityMap BurnBans CleanAirAgencies CurrentWildfireLocations WoodstovesandFireplaces