"Air quality meters from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sounded the alarm Tuesday morning, showing unsafe conditions in both Daytona Beach, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. Live tracking data captured sharply elevated levels of PM2.5, microscopic particles composed of toxic compounds or heavy metals that are small enough to penetrate the lungs, inflame the respiratory system, and even contribute to heart attacks."
"In Daytona Beach, a coastal city with roughly 80,000 residents, PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 12.5 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit. Both the EPA and air quality-tracking website IQAir warned that the air in Florida had reached 'unhealthy' levels for all residents, exceeding 150 on the Air Quality Index (AQI). Around Atlanta's suburban areas, multiple readings surpassed 150 and even 160, including in Dallas, Powder Springs, Roswell, and Vinings."
"The increased levels have been tied to recent wildfire smoke exacerbating a condition called stagnant air, where little to no wind and high atmospheric pressure trap pollution near ground level. Residents in the affected areas have been advised to avoid outdoor exercise, wear a face mask if going outside, close all windows to prevent polluted air from coming inside, and turn on air purifiers if you own one."
Thousands of residents near Daytona Beach, Florida and suburban Atlanta, Georgia face dangerously elevated PM2.5 concentrations. Daytona Beach measured PM2.5 at 12.5 times the World Health Organization's recommended limit, while multiple Atlanta-area monitors recorded AQI values above 150 and even 160. The spike results from wildfire smoke combined with stagnant air that traps pollutants near the ground. PM2.5 particles can penetrate lungs, inflame the respiratory system, and contribute to heart attacks. Health guidance urges avoiding outdoor exercise, wearing masks outdoors, closing windows, and using air purifiers to reduce exposure.
Read at Mail Online
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