Air Quality and Health
Poor air quality due to pollution and wildfire smoke can affect your health. 如果你所在地区的空气质量处于不健康的范围内，你应该知道以下几点.
Air Quality and Air Pollution
可引起健康问题的两种最常见的污染是臭氧和颗粒物污染.
Ozone 是一种无色的气体，当阳光与氧气相互作用时自然出现在大气中吗. 汽车燃烧化石燃料也会释放二氧化碳, factories and other industrial facilities. 臭氧可以在地面积聚，在那里它被称为烟雾. Hot, sunny weather can increase ozone buildup.
Particle pollution 是微小的固体物质还是悬浮在空气中的液滴. Particles come from car exhaust, tires, dust storms, volcanic eruptions, chemical aerosols, farming, construction, building demolition, fireplaces and wildfires.
Unhealthy Air’s Impact on Health
空气中高浓度的污染物会刺激眼睛和鼻子的呼吸通道, throat and lungs, causing:
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- More frequent or more severe asthma attacks
- Irritation of the eyes and throat
- Burning sensations in the chest
- 气闷肺功能减退，导致气闷或气短的感觉
According to the National Institutes of Health, air pollution causes 6.全世界每年有500万人死亡，而且这个数字还在上升.
经常暴露在空气污染中会增加患以下疾病的风险:
- Respiratory disease such as
- Breast cancer
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Lung cancer
- Chronic inflammation 由于身体细胞的过度磨损(氧化应激)，可导致心血管疾病
- Heart attack: One study suggests that up to 2.8%的心脏病死亡可归因于高水平的细颗粒物污染和炎热的天气.
Bad Air Quality: Who is at risk?
Air pollution can affect everyone. 但空气质量差的日子应该特别注意的包括:
- Children
- Adults age 65 and older
- People with asthma
- People who are pregnant
- 肺病患者，包括慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD或肺气肿)
- Those with heart disease
Children and Air Pollution: Long-term Risk
Children are particularly at risk from air pollution. Studies 这表明暴露在空气污染中与早产有关，并可能影响发育中的大脑.
有孩子的家庭应遵循当地的建议，并在空气质量差影响到他们所在地区时立即打电话给医生，如果他们的孩子:
- Has trouble breathing
- Is coughing persistently
- Is sleepier than usual
- Is uninterested in eating or drinking
据统计，在城市地区出生和长大的孩子患神经系统疾病的几率更高，因为空气污染是一个因素, behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum conditions.
How do you protect yourself from bad air quality?
Stay informed. 你可以从当地的天气报告和网站获取空气质量信息 U.S. Air Quality Index.
空气质量是指空气中污染物的浓度. The air quality index (AQI)每日变化，可能是区域或本地天气预报的一部分.
空气质量指数用一个代表空气中污染物浓度的数字来表示, and a color:
- Green: Good
- Yellow: Moderate
- Orange: Unhealthy for sensitive groups
- Red: Unhealthy
- Purple: Very unhealthy
- Maroon: Hazardous
这些建议还包括户外锻炼的具体内容 children’s outdoor activities to avoid at certain levels.
Other tips to consider when air quality is poor:
- Limit your time outdoors to 30 minutes or less. Encourage children to play inside.
- 保持窗户关闭，使用空调或暖气的“再循环”设置.
- Switch your fitness activities from outside to indoor. 例如，在跑步机上跑步或在商场散步，而不是在室外跑步或散步. 如果你必须在户外锻炼，选择一个远离道路和交通的地方.
- 如果你必须呆在户外，考虑戴上N95口罩. 布或外科口罩不能防止吸入颗粒.
- 出门后冲个澡，冲洗掉皮肤和头发上的微粒.
当空气质量差时，如何帮助保护你的社区
- Skip the fire pit. Avoid burning wood or trash.
- Limit driving. Carpool or combine errands when you can.
- 避免使用燃气草坪护理设备，如鼓风机和割草机，特别是旧型号.
- Electricity production has an impact on air quality. Cutting down on energy use in your home can help.
Be prepared if you live in an area at risk
如果你居住的地方可能发生野火或其他空气质量紧急情况, be sure you and your loved ones are prepared:
- Stock up on medicine. 把家里所有的处方都放在一个保险箱里，够你用7到10天, 儿童保护和防水的容器，你可以迅速抓住，如果你需要离开家.
- If you must go to a shelter due to fires, smoke or other air quality hazard, 一定要提醒收容所的工作人员你或你所爱的人的健康状况，比如哮喘, heart disease or COPD.
Wildfires and Air Quality
Wildfires, which can occur in hot, dry weather, 向空气中释放大量烟雾，不仅影响当地社区，还影响整个州甚至整个大陆. Their incidence is on the rise.
根据美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据， wildfire smoke 含有燃烧的树木、植被和建筑物的气体和颗粒. 吸入烟雾会导致咳嗽和刺激你的呼吸系统. For older adults, people who are pregnant, 患有肺部疾病和呼吸道感染的人, wildfire smoke can be dangerous.
Protecting Yourself from Wildfire Smoke
When air is unhealthy due to wildfires, stay indoors and follow these steps, especially if you have breathing problems:
- If you cannot avoid going outside, mask up. 不要依赖不能过滤烟雾颗粒的布质面罩或外科口罩. NIOSH(美国国家职业安全与卫生研究所)认可的N95口罩将提供更好的保护.
- Stay in rooms that you can close off from the outside.
- 避免烹饪，特别是油炸或烧烤，这会增加室内空气污染.
- 使用空气过滤器，调整空调或加热系统，使空气再循环，而不是从外面吸入空气.
- Do not smoke, especially inside your home.
- Avoid using your fireplace or lighting candles or incense.
- Hold off on vacuuming until air quality improves. (吸尘可以使表面上的灰尘和颗粒重新循环.)
- 如果你或你的家人有哮喘或心脏病或肺病，请听从医生的建议.
Wildfire Ash
When a widespread fire occurs, it produces ash, which is dust, dirt and soot from burned vegetation and structures. 燃烧建筑物的灰烬可能含有化学物质，比树木或植物的灰烬更危险.
Inhaling ash particles can irritate your nose, throat, breathing tube and lungs as well as eyes and skin. 当与水或汗水结合时，一些灰烬会引起化学灼伤. If fire ash has contaminated your home or property, 按照当地安全组织的指示拆除.
