Wind brings cooler temps but dusty air

Conditions outside were frightful Tuesday, but clearer skies ahead

The temperatures might have been a little cooler outside Tuesday, but it was by no means a beautiful day in the neighborhood, either. Smoke from the fires in San Diego County darkened our skies, and blowing winds and dust prompted the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to issue a PM10 pollution advisory.

In fact, ADEQ gave Yuma an “unhealthy” label for air quality Tuesday.

Breezy conditions are expected to continue today, but ADEQ reported air quality was expected to improve, with a “moderate” PM10 rating for today. The rest of the week, conditions are expected to be good.

According to ADEQ, PM stands for particulate matter – “a mixture of microscopic solids and liquid droplets suspended in air.” It’s a type of pollution that includes acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust particles and allergens.

PM-10 means the particulate matter is coarse – with diameters of 10 micrometers or less.

ADEQ notes it’s a health matter because PM-10 is “small enough to get deep into your lungs and may even get into your bloodstream.”

On days with high PM-10 counts, the particles in the air can pose challenges to those with lung disease, such as asthma, and may also increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. It has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and irregular heartbeats.

And in healthy individuals, a high PM-10 count can cause irritated eyes, nose and throat, coughing, phlegm, chest tightness and shortness of breath.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of the time, there isn’t much we can do about PM-10 here. A good windstorm is all it takes to raise those levels.

However, you can check out the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality website for the Yuma air quality forecast, found at https://azdeq.gov/airaz.

Depending on what ADEQ has to say, you can tailor your day’s activities around the forecast. If it’s expected to be a high PM-10 count day, shorten your time spent outside as much as possible.

As for that smoke in the sky drifting over from California, our thoughts are with our neighbors to the west as they fight a massive wildfire. Please stay safe over there until these winds calm down and better conditions prevail!

Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.