'A Smokestorm Is Imminent': Spokane's Hazardous Air Now Worse Than Bejing and Delhi Combined
Source: Think Progress
By Joe Romm, Aug. 20, 2018, 1:37 pm.
Surrounded by wildfires, Washington state sees worst air quality in history.
As of Monday morning, Spokane, Washingtons air quality is worse than Beijing and Delhi combined.
Surrounded on three sides by warming-driven wildfires, Seattle is also experiencing its worst air quality on record, according to Cliff Mass, a professor of atmospheric sciences at Washington University. On Sunday, Mass warned that a smokestorm is imminent for western Washington.
In Eastern Washington, the air is literally hazardous. At 7:15 a.m. local time Monday, Spokanes Regional Health District tweeted out that Spokane is waking to hazardous or maroon category for air quality. That means, At this level, everyone should be staying indoors.
The warning is based on PM2.5 levels, which measure the fine particulate matter (PM) smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, much of which is caused by combustion of fossil fuels. These particles are so tiny 20 times smaller than the width of human hair they can bypass the bodys normal defense mechanisms and cause grave harm...More...
Read more: https://thinkprogress.org/a-smokestorm-is-imminent-spokanes-hazardous-air-now-worse-than-beijing-and-delhi-combined-ca4a46dd7f13/
Studies have found that PM2.5 concentrations are directly correlated to mortality levels from lung cancer and cardiopulmonary disease. Also troubling, recent studies link particulate matter directly to higher rates of Alzheimers and dementia.
In the air quality index (AQI) system used for warning the public (see below), 0 to 50 is considered a good level, but anything above 150 is unhealthy for all groups, and anything above 300 is hazardous.
As of mid-morning Pacific time, the AQI for Beijing is 81. The AQI for Delhi is 173. The AQI for Spokane is 306. The highest recorded level Monday in Washington State is over 400.
Smoke from the River Fire fills the sky as it burns through a canyon on July 31, 2018 in Lakeport, California.
elmac
(4,642 posts)huge fires are blazing. It is becoming the norm and it doesn't have to be. Under true leadership fires could be controlled, but, there is no money, no will to do so. Instead, the rich got a "yuge" tax break and the stock market is up bigly.
samnsara
(17,622 posts)gopiscrap
(23,761 posts)IronLionZion
(45,452 posts)the country is literally burning up.
The fires are on the west side because of the flaming left.
Immigrant tech workers from India and China are turning America's air quality into India and China.
Sorry, just trying to think like a Trumpster.
But nothing to do with global warming and dry conditions or badly planned development
lunasun
(21,646 posts)tblue37
(65,403 posts)kurtcagle
(1,603 posts)We could just barely make out the hills today because of the haze, and we had a light flurry of ash much of the afternoon. I fear that haze season will become the new norm.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)According to the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque, N.M., smoke from wildfires burning over California, Oregon and Nevada moved southeastward into New Mexico on Sunday, which impacted air quality over much of central and western New Mexico.
East winds developing in the Rio Grande Valley late Sunday were expected to help force smoke westward out of the area but meteorologists expected smoke impacts to likely continue over western New Mexico this morning.
The National Weather Service on Sunday issued a wind advisory in effect until 6 a.m. today for the Middle Rio Grande Valley including metro Albuquerque, especially below Tijeras Canyon.
According to meteorologists, a gusty backdoor front was expected to surge through gaps in the Sandia and Manzano mountains during the overnight hours, producing strong east winds and bringing blowing dust into the area.
https://www.abqjournal.com/1210756/smoke-from-wildfires-prompts-health-alert-in-metro-abq.html
(downtown Albuquerque)
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)They are now 160 and we're about a hundred more. Blech. At least we have it for only a few days.
gopiscrap
(23,761 posts)and barely see across the street. It has been like this all day and tomorrow it is supposed to be worse. We have health alert here in Tacoma