The air we breathe directly affects our health. Breathing in air that is contaminated with particulate matter (PM) can lead to the development of acute or chronic respiratory conditions., like asthma, COPD, or chronic bronchitis.
Air quality is often invisible to the naked eye, which is why there are tools to check the air quality based on the amount of particulate matter. So, what is particulate matter, anyway?
Particulate matter is mainly categorized as PM10 and as PM2.5. The numbers are micrometers, with PM10 being four times larger than PM2.5. The smaller the particulate, the more likely it is to reach the inside of the lungs and even reach the bloodstream, making it much more dangerous than other types of particulate.
Factors such as pollution from cars or factories, burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, pollen, and fires. In Flagstaff, the largest contributor to poor air quality is particulate matter from wildfire and prescribed fire. Both release PM 2.5 and pose the biggest risk to the health of the community, which is why I am focusing on reducing its impact in this project.
[Graph Provided By PupleAir.com]
Poor air quality does not affect people equally. Sensitive groups, such as those over 65 years of age and under 15 years of age, people with asthma or COPD, and heart disease, are more susceptible to negative impacts from poor air quality.
Because of this, it is crucial to create clean air spaces within the household. During poor air quality days, family members can spend time in a dedicated space to ensure that the amount of particulate matter is kept to a minimum.
According to the Coconino County Community Health Needs Assessment, the air quality is better than the United States average, yet is heavily burdened by wildfire in the area.