Iowa is once again engulfed in wildfire smoke from Canada and Iowans are noticing hazy skies.
With so much smoke in the air, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality advisory for the entire state through Wednesday.
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Forecasters with the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities said Tuesday on Twitter that air quality was even worse than expected, with smoke reaching the ground. Air quality has reached unhealthy levels throughout Iowa and the upper Midwest.
NWS advised to limit time spent outside, or wear a mask for prolonged periods spent outdoors.
What is the air quality index across Iowa?
Air quality is expected to be worst in the eastern third of the state. As of 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, Des Moines’ air quality index was 172, putting the metro in the unhealthy category. Dubuque’s air quality index is also ranking unhealthy, at 193. In Davenport, the index reached 217, making the air quality very unhealthy.
Map:Check real-time air quality conditions across Iowa
Smoke from wildfires causing smoky Iowa skies, poor air quality this week
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This week, local fires won’t be to blame for smoky skies and poor air quality in Iowa. Iowa’s skies will be smoky for most of this week due to winds pushing smoke from wildfires into Iowa.
More smoke will be concentrated in eastern Iowa, sparing the Des Moines metro from the worst air quality issues.
Who should be most concerned about the poor air quality?
The DNR recommends reducing long or intense activities outside and taking breaks more often during outdoor activities until air quality conditions improve.
This recommendation is especially pertinent to individuals with heart or lung disease, the elderly, children and teenagers and outdoor workers. Individuals in these categories should consider staying indoors during this time.
How does smoke contribute to poor air quality?
Even smoke from burning leaves, grass, brush, and plants contains high concentrations of pollutants, according to the Iowa DNR. These pollutants can include carbon monoxide, particulate matter, toxic chemicals, and reactive gasses that can contribute to smog formation.
“Once pollutants are in the air, there is no way to prevent them from depositing on crops and water sources,” according to Iowa DNR.
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Particulate matter, which includes airborne particles such as dust, dirt, soot and smoke, can contribute to pollution and cause health defects. This pollution can cause chronic bronchitis, asthma attacks, decreased lung function, coughing, painful breathing, cardiac problems and heart attacks, as well as a variety of serious environmental impacts such as acidification of lakes and streams and nutrient depletion in soils and water bodies.
Dig Deeper:Des Moines’ air quality index keeps spiking. Wildfires, prescribed burns might be at fault
How does Iowa’s air quality in 2023 compare to previous years?
In 2021, Iowa had 80 moderate air quality days, and one day that was unhealthy for sensitive groups, with zero days out of the year being unhealthy, very unhealthy or hazardous, according to the U.S. Environment Protection Agency.
In 2022, Iowa only had 37 moderate days and zero days that were unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy or hazardous.
On May 24, the National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for all of Iowa as ozone levels were nearing federal health standards. Before this alert, there had not been one sent out since 2021.
So far in June, Des Moines has experienced 13 moderate days and seven days where the air quality was rated unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
