air quality – Syndication Server

Stay safe with these tips for dealing with poor air quality

Protect yourself during hard times.

Currently, Canadian wildfires are pushing dangerously polluted air into the northern United States. Communities from New York to Virginia have reported yellow-orange skies and Air Quality Index (AQI) measurements of over 150. An AQI in this range indicates that the air is unhealthy for humans.

According to AirNow, an air quality resource via the U.S. government, unhealthy air can affect anyone. However, children and people with lung and heart conditions face an increased risk of adverse health effects.

“When smoke levels rise into unhealthy ranges, everyone should take precautions and try to stay indoors,” AirNow tweeted in response to recent wildfire pollution.

There are several ways for people to protect themselves against polluted air. If you or a loved one are in a polluted area, explore these helpful tips for handling poor air quality.

A view of smoky skies in New York City. — Smoke in the Chelsea area of New York City on June 7, 2023. / *Photo via edenpictures*

Monitor conditions with an air quality map

Stay updated on your region’s air quality with maps like this one from AirNow. This map will show your area’s AQI and what range it falls under. If your community’s air quality is in an unhealthy range, follow the tips below to protect yourself.

Stay indoors

When the air outside is heavily polluted, staying inside is the best way to stay healthy. Run an air purifier to keep your indoor air clean, and use damp towels to seal any cracks in windows or doors. If you have air conditioning, turn it on and close the fresh air intake.

Minimize outdoor time and mask up

People who can’t avoid venturing outside should still try to minimize their time outdoors as much as possible. When outside, you can wear an N-95 mask to filter out harmful particles.

When to seek medical attention

In extreme cases, polluted air can cause serious health problems. Watch for symptoms such as dizziness, sore throat, breathing difficulties, wheezing, headache, and chest tightness. Seek medical attention if needed.

Could air quality from Bobcat Fire impact Chiefs vs. Chargers?

There is no imminent threat of postponement or relocation, but the air quality is a concern.

There are a number of wildfires raging throughout California right now and one of them could affect the upcoming game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

While the game doesn’t face an imminent threat of postponement or relocation, there are some concerns about air quality in the Los Angeles area. Poor air quality could certainly impact the players. As of Saturday, the Bobcat Fire had grown to 91,000 acres and is only 15% contained according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The L.A. Public Health Department recently extended their smoke advisory through Saturday, Sept. 19. The Air Quality Index forecast on Sunday shows a 130 AQI according to IQAir. This level of air quality is described as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

For the NFL to relocate a game, they’d have to see an AQI reading of over 200 for a significant period of time according to the NFL operations manual. IQAir qualifies readings over AQI 150 as unhealthy, and readings over 200 would qualify as very unhealthy.

Now, SoFi stadium isn’t an outdoor stadium in the sense that Arrowhead Stadium is. It has a roof, but the sides and ends of the building open up to the outdoors. SoFi Stadium has been dubbed as the first major indoor-outdoor stadium since its inception due to its unique design. That same unique design also brings the possibility that harmful air from the fires could enter the stadium.

The Rams-Cowboys game played at Sofi Stadium in Week 1 faced similar concerns, but ultimately the two teams were able to play. They also didn’t appear any worse for wear due to the air quality. It’s certainly something to monitor throughout the game, though. Poor air quality could lead to both teams having to sub players out more frequently than they’d like.

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Air quality concerns linger for Seahawks vs. Patriots Sunday

Air quality concerns still linger for the Seattle Seahawks when they take on the New England Patriots Sunday night at CenturyLink Field.

In the midst of wildfires raging all over the west coast of the United States, speculation has risen over whether air quality will be a factor in the Seattle Seahawks’ Week 2 game against the New England Patriots at CenturyLink Field.

Coach Pete Carroll told reporters Wednesday he is in communication with the NFL to determine how things will turn out on Sunday. He expressed hope that the game would proceed without complications.

“We’re in direct connection with [the NFL] and they are monitoring what’s going on as we are as well,” Carroll said. “Hopefully we get a good shift in the weather here by the weekend. It looks it could change tomorrow some and into the weekend, but we’re very cognizant of it and we’re working to figure it out.”

The Seahawks did move practice indoors on Wednesday to be safe and will likely do the same on Thursday.

Early weather reports indicate the Seattle area should be experiencing an improvement in air quality by the end of the weekend . . . just in time of the “Sunday Night Football” matchup.

We will keep you up to date on this story as it develops.

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Seahawks monitoring air quality ahead of Sunday night against Patriots

The Seattle Seahawks are monitoring air quality ahead of Sunday night’s matchup against the New England Patriots in light of local wildfires.

The Seattle Seahawks still have another day to decide whether or not the team will practice outside along the shores of Lake Washington or head inside away from the stifling wildfire smoke.

Due to fires in state as well as in Oregon and California, Washington has been covered in a layer of dense smoke for nearly a week now. Air quality indexes have rated the air-borne toxins from unhealthy to downright hazardous, forcing most people in the area to remain in their homes.

Coach Pete Carroll is watching the forecast carefully before deciding how to practice this week.

“I’m going to wait until Wednesday see what it is, because it can change pretty quickly,” Carroll said during his Monday press conference. “We are concerned about it, and I don’t know what that means as far as what the likelihood is of practicing outside. I don’t know, we’ve got to wait and see what the numbers are. We’re going to take care of our guys first, so whatever’s best, we’ll do that.”

Initial forecasts had predicted cleansing rains for Tuesday, however, there doesn’t seem to be much improvement in the air as of this post. The latest models are now pointing towards the end of the week for clearer air.

“We won’t practice outside just to practice outside,” Carroll continued. “If it’s better inside, we’ll do that. We did that on Friday last week to take advantage of a better setting here, and we’ll just see how it goes.”

The Seahawks have an off day Tuesday and will return to (an indoor or outdoor) practice Wednesday morning.

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Could Cowboys-Rams season opener be delayed due to Cali fires?

Could the California Wildfires impact the NFL schedule?

Fans have been waiting months for their first glimpse of the 2020 Dallas Cowboys, but as 2020 has shown us, the world does not revolve around sports. The global pandemic shut down sports for months, cancelled the NFL’s offseason program and wiped out the entire exhibition season. Somehow, though, the league was able to make it to opening week and kicked things off with the Kansas City Chiefs defending their title for the first time on Thursday night.

Now, a very specific threat to the lives and safety of those in the state of California threatens the premiere Sunday game, as the Cowboys are scheduled to christen the Los Angeles Rams’ new multibillion building, SoFi Stadium. The wild fires that have ravaged the state and caused air quality issues could impact the season opener for both teams.

Rams vs. Cowboys could be delayed if air quality worsens

The NFL prohibits teams from playing or practicing if the air quality index shows sustained levels above 200.

At their training facility in Thousand Oaks, the Rams practiced all week, and coach Sean McVay said Friday, “That shouldn’t be an issue for us (Sunday).”

But Rams COO Kevin Demoff said Friday and Saturday morning that he is in touch with the NFL and local officials about the smoky air.

Demoff said that if the Rams-Cowboys game couldn’t be played as scheduled at 5:20 p.m. Sunday, postponing it to Monday or Tuesday would be a better option than moving it to another location. That would be the NFL’s call.

Today at 10am Pacific Time, according to Weather Underground, the Air Quality Index for Inglewood, CA is at 171.

Air quality levels fluctate throughout the day and tend to improve at night, so what things will be like at 5:20 p.m. local time for kickoff could be in a better situation; though pre-game activities will be taken into consideration.

There will be no fans in the stands of the new 70,000 seat arena, but air quality is a danger when exerting oneself, which means there could be an issue even for the finely tuned professional athletes.

The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers have an afternoon game that could be in peril, too.

Whether or not the games would be relocated or postponed is a discussion the league office and teams must be discussing.

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Air quality at Australian Open ‘totally fine,’ per players

Air quality has been a major concern around the Australian Open in Melbourne, but conditions have improved as the tournament officially got underway on Monday from Melbourne Park.