An air quality health alert returns to New York State

A familiar summer adversary is back in town. An Air Quality Health Advisory has been issued for all of New York State on Monday, July 17. 

On Sunday evening, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an official Air Quality Health Advisory thanks to fine particulate matter expected to last until 11:59pm today.

Special to the New York Metro area is also an ozone advisory, in effect from 11am–11pm. The ozone is thanks to summer heat and smog, including pollution from vehicles. Taking public transit is recommended to help lessen the effect, which is also expected to let up in the evening, when there's less sunlight and traffic.

This Air Quality Health Advisory suggests that folks exercising outdoors or carriers of respiratory disease should limit strenuous outdoor activity when ozone levels are the highest, which is typically in the afternoon to early evening. Being indoors can help limit ozone exposure. Exposure symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing may require a doctor's consultation. Masks, air purifiers and closed windows are also recommended. 

DEC and DOH issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or fine particulate matter are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. Currently, the AQI in NYC is around 107, but the PM2.5 concentration is currently 7.7 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value. 

"New Yorkers should once again prepare for smoke from the wildfires in Western Canada to impact our state's air quality this week," Governor Hochul said in a statement. "To help everyone stay informed and safe, we are activating emergency notifications on our roads and public transit systems and making masks available to counties for distribution. As forecasts continue to evolve, I encourage New Yorkers to stay up to date on the latest information and take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones."