Editor’s note: The Baltimore Banner is providing this news free to all readers as a public service.
The air quality in Baltimore and the surrounding region is worse Thursday morning than it was Wednesday. Depending on where you are in the Baltimore region, the air quality as of 6:45 a.m. Thursday is either “very unhealthy” or even “hazardous.”
Where the air is considered “very unhealthy,” there is an increased risk of health effects for everyone and where the air is “hazardous” is considered an emergency condition, according to AirNow.gov.
This story will be updated throughout the day with what you need to know.
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So what’s wrong with the air?
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is being carried by the wind to the skies over Baltimore and much of the northeastern United States. It’s the reason the sky looks so hazy in the region today, and why you might smell smoke if you’re outside.
Wildfire smoke is a mix of gasses and and fine particles and can make anyone sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breathing in smoke can have immediate health effects, including coughing, irritated sinuses and headaches.
How is the air quality measured?
The U.S. Air Quality Index is how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measures and reports air quality. It runs on a scale from 0-500; the higher the number, the more polluted the air is and the higher the health concern.
As of 11:30 a.m. in Baltimore on Thursday, the index was around 180, which is in the red zone. That means the air quality is unhealthy for all people.
An index of 101-150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, which includes children, older adults and those with preexisting conditions such as asthma or heart disease. An index of 151-200 is considered unhealthy and 201-301 is considered very unhealthy.
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Anything higher than 300 is considered “hazardous.”
How can you stay safe?
As much as possible, stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed. If you go outside, avoid strenuous activity and especially prolonged strenuous activity. If you’re an outdoor runner, consider walking today or working out indoors. Wearing an N95 or KN95 mask outdoors will offer some protection if it’s well-fitting, said Peter DeCarlo, associate professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. There will be less air pollution indoors if doors or windows are closed, though.
And, DeCarlo said, you should not run outside.
“Even if you’re wearing a mask, you don’t want to be breathing more frequently or deeply,” he said.
Gov. Wes Moore suggested wearing a mask outdoors Wednesday afternoon.
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Robyn Gilden, an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, said it’s important people know that a cloth mask “will only help with the smell” and not actually keep a person safe from the health concerns associated with wildfire smoke.
“If you have to go outside for any extended period, wear a mask, but not a surgical or cloth mask, an N95 mask,” she said. “A cloth or surgical mask is not going to filter particulate matter, and that’s what’s most concerning about fire smoke.”
When will the air go back to normal?
As of 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, the air quality in Baltimore is expected to remain unhealthy for everyone for the rest of the day, reaching “acceptable” levels by Friday. The forecast could change, though.
Brian Lasorsa, a meteorologist with the Baltimore-Washington office of the National Weather Service, said it looks like the smoke should clear out of the region later in the week and over the weekend.
However, he said Wednesday afternoon, the weather service is tracking a plume of smoke that’s currently over parts of eastern Pennsylvania that could move south and degrade air quality in and around Baltimore later this evening and early Thursday morning.
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Why is this a health concern? And for whom?
Wildfire smoke creates a kind of air pollution called PM2.5, which is particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. For comparison, a human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter. Particles that small can get into your lungs and bloodstream and cause health concerns. Kevin Stewart, who is the director of environmental health at the American Lung Association, said air quality this poor is “very unhealthy for everyone.”
“People at high-risk can experience problems, but others can too, and it may be a surprise to them. Maybe they have an issue with asthma or a heart problem and didn’t realize it. And your lung capacity declines after your early twenties, so you have less reserve there,” he said. “Air pollution like this kills people.”
Gilden said the air is not safe for anyone, but she’s most concerned for vulnerable populations, which includes children, older adults, those with lung or cardiac issues and anyone who works outside.
If you have a condition such as asthma and develop symptoms from being in the air, Gilden says to use your regular medications. If those don’t work, you should go to your doctor or the emergency room.
If you don’t have any known conditions like asthma or heart disease but develop symptoms from being outside, she says, get indoors and into air conditioning. If that does not help and you’re still short of breath, call your medical provider.
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“This is not a time to play around with respiratory symptoms,” she said.
What is Baltimore City doing about the air quality concern?
In a news release Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Brandon Scott encouraged Baltimoreans to limit their outdoor exposure, check on vulnerable populations such as the elderly and stay up to date with MDE air quality announcements.
”It is crucial that residents stay informed about the current air quality conditions and take appropriate measures to protect themselves and their loved ones,” Scott said in a statement. “While we are expecting this to clear up by the end of the week, we strongly urge residents to take the necessary steps to protect themselves.”
His administration is encouraging city employees that work outdoors to wear a mask; donning one is not mandatory. Officials will distribute KN-95 face masks to city workers.
”If you must go outdoors, in alignment with MDE recommendations, you should wear a mask,” said Acting Baltimore City Health Commissioner Mary Beth Haller. The city’s office of homeless services and health departments operate cooling centers for homeless people and seniors during periods of extreme summer heat, which allow vulnerable residents to avoid the risks associated with high temperatures.
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The Scott administration has not said if they will open the centers, saying in a news release that officials are “actively coordinating with relevant agencies to address the situation and provide necessary resources.” A spokesman did not respond to an inquiry about the centers.
Scott also connected the wildfires in Canada — and the smoky haze covering Baltimore — to climate change. His tweets did not mention any city resources, though.
What about schools?
Baltimore City schools are keeping all students indoors and canceling outdoor activities Thursday. Field trips to indoor destinations such as museums can proceed.
“For Schools without AC [air conditioning], students and staff should wear masks and keep windows and doors closed,” the school district said in a statement.
The district activated an automated calling system that alerted families to the restrictions and added that air purifiers would be in use, and schools without air conditioning would be provided extra fans.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools is moving all its outdoor activities indoors, and Howard County schools canceled all outdoor activities.
Baltimore County Public Schools canceled all outdoor activities during the school day, including field trips, because of the air quality. An email sent to parents said the school would make a decision about after-school activities later in the morning.
Carroll County schools only canceled after-school outdoor activities. A school system spokesperson said it’s up to individual schools to determine if kids should stay indoors. According to AirNow.gov, air quality is good in parts of the county.
Are your pets safe?
The general rule is that if it’s not safe for a person to be outside, it’s not safe for a pet to be outside.
Krista Rieckert, a veterinarian with Evergreen Veterinary Care, said you should only take your animals outside if it’s necessary, and to take shorter walks with your dogs.
“It’s definitely not one of those days to go to the dog park or anything like that,” she said. She suggested playing with your animals indoors and having them do indoor enrichment activities instead.
Cats can develop asthma, she said, so air quality concern days can be tough on them. Rieckert suggested seeking emergency veterinary care if an animal is having trouble breathing or looks to be in any sort of respiratory distress, and to call your regular veterinarian with any questions.
“When animals are at rest, they should be breathing comfortably. You shouldn’t see a lot of effort with their belly,” she said.
Mike Evitts, a spokesperson for the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, said zoo staff were monitoring all their outdoor animals for any signs of distress “from the smallest bird to the largest elephant.”
“They [the animals] also have choice when it comes to being inside or outside so, in addition to our keepers’ watchful eye, the animals can move indoors if they prefer,” Evitts said.
This story will be updated.
cody.boteler@thebaltimorebanner.com
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