NYC Air Quality 'Unhealthy,' Wildfire Smoke Predicted To Linger Friday
New York City's air quality is "unhealthy for sensitive groups" as of Thursday morning as widespread haze is expected to blanket the city. The NYC Air Quality Index stood at 116 as of 9:30 a.m., firmly within the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" level, according to airnow.gov. Children, teens, older adults and people with heart or lung disease are encouraged to stay inside or limit their outdoor activities. Widespread haze is expected to linger into Friday, and people should take necessary precautions like staying inside, reducing exposure, minimizing exertion when outdoors. The Lung Institute has advised people to make their own "DIY" air purifiers in two ways, including creating a 20-by-20-inch box fan, a HEPA or other high-quality filter of the same size, cardboard, duct tape, and a utility knife. To create a filter plus fan, all they need is a 20/20- inch box fan and two high- quality filters of the similar size, and once done, they can place their DIY filter in their desired room. The second type is a box fan or Corsi-Rosenthal box, which involves using two filters to reduce stress on the motor and increase surface area.
Published : 10 months ago by Matt Troutman in Environment
The city's air quality index stood at 116 as of 9:30 a.m., firmly within the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" level, according to airnow.gov. Children, teens, older adults and people with heart or lung disease are encouraged to stay inside or limit their outdoor activities, officials said.
And the unhealthy smoke is likely to linger into Friday, state officials warned. "With elevated air pollution levels now predicted across the state, New Yorkers should remain aware of their local air quality and take necessary precautions like staying inside, reducing exposure, minimizing exertion when outdoors, and consider using an N95 mask while these unhealthy conditions persist," said James McDonald, the state's health commissioner, in a statement.
New York state, including the city, is under an air quality alert Thursday that lasts until midnight. Widespread haze is in the city's forecast all day Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
Breathing wildfire smoke can lead to adverse health effects, especially for pregnant women, experts with the Lung Institute warned. "Smoke is incredibly dangerous for pregnant women as their lungs usually have limited capacity due to their growing bellies," reads a statement from the Institute.
Beyond staying indoors and wearing N95 or KN95 masks, experts with the Lung Institute encouraged at-risk people — who include those of low socio-economic status — to use an air purifier. People can make their own "DIY" air purifiers in two ways, according to the Lung Institute. Here are the institute's instructions:
• To create a filter plus fan, all they need is a 20-by-20-inch box fan, a HEPA or other high-quality filter of the same size, and duct tape. Before they start, they need to make sure that the fan isn’t plugged in and turn the knob to the highest setting. The filter should cover the switch. Then, they need to place the filter on the front of the fan and hold it in place using duct tape. Once done, they can place their DIY filter in their desired room. Turning the fan on and off should be done at the plug to ensure the filter isn’t disrupted. This DIY filter is essentially a filter taped to a fan. Despite its practicality and ease of creation, it’s proven to be an effective alternative for air purifiers. `
• The second type is a box fan or the Corsi-Rosenthal box, which involves using two filters to reduce stress on the motor and increase surface area. All they need for this is a 20-by-20-inch box fan, two HEPA or other high-quality filters of the same size, cardboard, duct tape, and a utility knife. To do this, they need to start by taking the filters out of the box and preserving the cardboard. Then, take these two fillers and stack them on top of the other with the black carbon sides facing each other. Then, they need to tape these filters together on one side, so there’s a hinge when opened. Then, they need to lay the box fan face down on a flat surface and place the filters on top of it so the two non-taped ends meet the fan’s edges. Tape these ends together. Once attached, they’ll see a triangular empty space. This empty space is where they’ll attach the cardboard. To attach this part, they need to place the cardboard on the top and bottom of the filters and mark the spot where the cupboard meets the box fan and the filters. Once marked, they can cut the cardboard and attach it to the box fan and filters using duct tape. From there, they can seal any gaps in the fan using extra tape.
Topics: Wildfires, NYC, ESG