Portland’s air quality was the worst of major cities in the world Friday, due to Oregon and Washington wildfires
Portland’s air quality deteriorated to downright dangerous levels Friday — making it the worst among major cities across the globe.
The air quality monitoring website IQAir.com, which ranks air pollution across nearly 100 cities internationally, elevated Portland Friday morning to its No. 1 position — as in the worst, with an overall air quality index of 239. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website listed Portland’s measurement as even higher, at 349.
Friday afternoon, Seattle’s air quality declined to the point that it briefly tied Portland for the most dismal air, before bouncing back into second place. Another West Coast city also plagued by wildfire smoke — San Francisco — was ranked third at 199 on Friday afternoon.
A measurement of 0 or 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups and over 150 is unhealthy for everyone. Levels of 300 to 500 are deemed hazardous.
Portland typically has much cleaner air. Ten days ago the air quality index in the city was 11.
Other parts of Oregon have been hampered by even heavier smoke than in the Portland area. The precise levels fluctuate throughout the day, but at various points Friday: Lincoln City registered at 251, Ashland at 305, Medford at 319, Roseburg at 347, Eugene at 437, Salem at 456, Bend at 515 and Sisters at 582.
Whoa. I though our air quality was terrible (it is), then I saw Bend, OR (omg) pic.twitter.com/p4EyzUqHnM
— Thom (@CorvusCorax77) September 11, 2020
The National Weather Service has issued an air quality advisory for most of the western, central and southern parts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. The agency said air quality could significantly improve on Monday.
Some forecasts show rain Monday and Tuesday.
Marine air begins to work inland over the next couple of days with a modest westerly breeze. This will allow air quality and visibilities to begin to improve over northwest OR and southwest WA, as seen in this computer model for today (Fri). Purples depict the densest smoke. pic.twitter.com/U7ADxX4smw
— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) September 11, 2020
Health experts are advising all residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Many are worried about homeless individuals in particular. Portland and Multnomah County started opening up additional shelter space Thursday night to give respite from outside air.
State public health and workplace safety officials also are worried about people who work outdoors. They urged all employers Friday to stop outdoor work when the air quality index reaches “unhealthy” levels of over 150. Officials also said employers should supply outdoor workers with N95 masks “where and when appropriate.”
Friday, the dangerous air prompted many new closures of outdoor spaces and even some indoor spaces across parts of the state. Bad air prompted Portland and Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation to close all of their parks and other outdoor spaces. Some farmers markets, state parks, Bureau of Land Management recreational areas, state forests, national forests and Crater Lake National Park are closed. Businesses, including two locations of Powell’s Books, and some restaurants also had shuttered because of the hazardous air.
To check the air quality in your area, visit IQair.com. Or visit the EPA’s air quality website, airnow.gov, and type in your city or ZIP code. View interactive maps at the state’s web page, oregonsmoke.blogspot.com, or the EPA’s web page, fire.airnow.gov.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also allows smartphone users to check air quality though an app that can be found by searching for “OregonAir” in the app store.
The air quality index shows the amount of microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter per cubic meter of air. These tiny smoke particles can embed themselves into the lungs, even entering the bloodstream where they can do further harm.
Common short-term side effects of inhaling smoke particles are eye irritation, sore throat, runny nose, phlegm production, wheezy breathing and headaches.
The Natural Resources Defense Council studied one year, 2012, of wildfires in Oregon and concluded that it led to measurable health consequences, including nearly 2,000 emergency room visits, 92 admissions to the hospital for lung and heart problems, 226 premature deaths and $2.1 billion in total health costs.
The EPA suggests residents of smoky regions set up a “clean room,” where the entire household can seek a break from bad air that has seeped into other areas of the home. That could include running a HEPA air filter if you have one and sealing off windows with sheets of plastic and tape.
I used garbage bags and packing tape to seal off our windows, and it’s already made a big difference. pic.twitter.com/8uU8cWo8Mz
— Arwen Myers (@sopranoarwen) September 11, 2020
Most masks that are worn to ward off COVID-19 do little to filter out the smallest smoke particles. Medical experts say soaking masks or bandanas won’t supercharge them to do the job, either.
N95 masks and other medical-grade respirators will sift out fine particles, but they must fit properly and are in short supply because officials have urged the public to reserve them for frontline healthcare workers.
Read about other tips for reducing your exposure to unhealthy air here.
— Aimee Green: [email protected]; @o_aimee
