The Indiana Department of Environmental Management announced its new Local Air Quality Advisory, which will alert Hoosiers of short-term conditions that can become unhealthy for several hours but don’t meet the criteria for an Air Quality Action Day.
“Over the years, we’ve kind of noted some spikes in higher (fine particulate matter) values over time,” said Mark Derf, one of the department’s meteorologists. “We would notice that either residential or municipal fireworks displays would really cause the PM to spike. It could be low during the day, but once we hit fireworks season, in the late evenings, we would see that spike, just for it to come back down overnight.”
According to IDEM, the Local Air Quality Advisories will supplement Air Quality Action Days, not replace them. The agency will issue Air Quality Action Days when fine particulate matter or ozone levels will be high throughout the day.
Local advisories will respond to short-term fine particulate matter increases overnight or in early morning, according to IDEM.
Fine particulate matter is made up of microscopic particles that can “enter deep into the lungs,” according to IDEM. Children, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions might be more affected during fine particulate matter spikes.
Conditions that can lead to Low Air Quality Advisories include overnight temperature inversions that trap air and pollutants near the ground; low wind speeds and stagnant air; smoke or fine particulate matter accumulation from fireworks, leaf burning or other sources; and if forecasted Air Quality Index values could exceed 100 for several hours but not all day.
“The new Local Air Quality Advisory helps us better communicate when air quality may be impacted temporarily,” IDEM Commissioner Clint Woods said in a news release. “By adding this advisory, we’re giving Hoosiers clearer information concerning the air quality in their communities.”
Derf said IDEM has created a fact sheet that compares the two air quality notifications to help residents understand the differences. The agency might also make revisions to its SmogWatch webpage to help understand the differences, Derf said.
Indiana’s more metropolitan areas, like Marion County, typically see more air quality notifications, Derf said. Elkhart and Vigo counties also see higher fine particulate matter concentrations, he added.
“It’s not just limited to those areas,” Derf said, “but those are the ones that have popped up over the years.”
Derf expects areas that have fireworks displays to see more Local Air Quality Advisories. The advisories can also be caused by large warehouse or industrial fires in an area, he added.
“We’ll call an advisory for those areas just to be alert that there could be some difficulties breathing due to the smoke from those fires,” Derf said.
During air quality advisories, Derf recommends people avoid idling in a drive-thru for too long or mowing during air quality advisories because that could increase emissions. He also recommends people avoid doing any activities that would exert themselves outside.
“Anything with heavy breathing outside can take that particulate matter into the lungs, which can work themselves into the bloodstream and affect the heart as well,” Derf said.
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