Air quality improves after Monday advisory
The Yuma area was under a PM-10 dust pollution advisory Monday, but air quality should improve today, before slightly elevated ozone pollution becomes a potential factor for Thursday and Friday.
The pollution advisory was issued for Tuesday by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality after weather forecasts predicted northerly winds gusting from the Colorado River down into southwestern Yuma County, picking up dust and depositing it into the atmosphere and, in worst-case scenarios, into people’s lungs.
Wind gusts topped out at 26 mph around 2 p.m. before dying down later Tuesday, according to data from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma on the National Weather Service website.
PM-10 pollution is particulate matter, primarily dust, which is 10 micrometers or less in diameter, about the same size as fine beach sand. For comparison, a human hair is about 100 micrometers. Common sources in the Yuma area include construction sites, agricultural fields and unpaved roads.
When inhaled, these particles reach into the lungs, worsening asthma and other lung diseases. They also enter the bloodstream and aggravate heart conditions including congestive heart failure and inflammation.
Those with no underlying disease can suffer temporary symptoms including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat.
No pollution concerns are expected for today, according to the ADEQ’s air quality forecast, but calm weather on Thursday and Friday could push ozone levels barely into the “moderate” category, when “unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged outdoor exertion.” These include those with pre-existing conditions, the elderly and young children.
Ozone is a harmful gas produced when certain substances, produced by factories, vehicles and organic matter, are released into the atmosphere and react chemically with sunlight. It can irritate the respiratory system, reduce lung function and aggravate asthma, emphysema and other lung diseases.
For more information visit azdeq.gov or download the Air Yuma app, available for iPhone and Android operating systems.