Smoke from Park Fire pollutes the air in Redding, Northern California

Why is our air unhealthy, even if you can’t smell smoke?

Smoke from the Park Fire, which raged Monday morning along the Shasta-Tehama County border near Manton, is polluting the air in Shasta County and other parts of the northern Sacramento Valley.

The sky above Redding was a bit yellowish Monday morning. Smoke and pollution made the air unhealthy to breathe for people with health issues over the weekend and into Monday, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow air quality data.

According to the Sacramento office of the National Weather Service, that pollution will linger and likely get worse as the smoke descends on the valley.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, air pollution can be high even if you don’t smell smoke.

Here you can read what you need to know about unhealthy air, what you can do about it and where you can get current information about air quality in your municipality.

I don’t smell smoke. What’s the problem?

You cannot always smell hazardous substances.

Air quality experts measure the amount of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) in the air. According to the EPA, particles come from a variety of sources, including fires.

“Particulate matter consists of microscopic solid particles or liquid droplets that are so small they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems,” according to the EPA’s PM 2.5 pollution website.

Smoke from fires can spread large amounts of PM 2.5 pollution into the air and over large areas.

“When something burns, it creates a mixture of gases and particles,” said Dr. John Balmes, a pulmonologist at the University of California, San Francisco, an expert on the respiratory and cardiovascular effects of air pollutants.

“When you smell smoke, you’re smelling the gases in the air, not PM 2.5,” Balmes said. “They go hand in hand at the fire source, but the particles travel in the upper atmosphere.”

It is possible to have bad air, air with high levels of PM 2.5 pollution, without smelling any gases.

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Who is particularly vulnerable to polluted air?

When air quality is rated as “unhealthy for vulnerable groups,” it means that PM 2.5 particles are at levels that could cause problems for people with medical conditions, particularly respiratory conditions like asthma and heart or lung diseases, according to AirNow. Certain age groups — older adults, children and teens — are also vulnerable to problems from bad air.

When PM 2.5 levels are high enough to harm everyone, AirNow ranks the air from “unhealthy” — as it is in parts of California — to “hazardous.” In these cases, everyone should limit their exposure.

The particles “can penetrate deep into the lungs,” Balmes said. “They cause inflammation, which is the body’s response to injury of any kind. When you inhale these fine particles into your lungs, it causes injury. Once you have inflammation in the lungs, it can worsen lung disease, but it can also worsen heart disease.”

What you can do to avoid breathing bad air

Health experts recommend the following for people who experience air pollution.

Limit outdoor activities.
Stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed.
Turn on the air conditioning to recirculation mode, like in a car.

Even healthy people should limit the amount of time they spend outdoors if possible, the EPA says.

If you do go outside, choose less strenuous outdoor activities. For example, go for a walk instead of a run.

Once the smoke clears, damage from particulate matter usually heals in healthy adults, Balmes said.

Why COVID Pandemic Masks May Not Protect Against Air Pollution

COVID-19 masks used during the pandemic may not protect you from breathing in pollution unless you wear a mask that filters out PM 2.5, such as an N95 mask.

Most “paper face mask filters and bandana-style face coverings may be useful in reducing the spread of germs and viruses, but they are not capable of filtering extra fine particles that are much smaller,” Shasta County Air Quality Management District reported during the 2020 Zogg fire. “Therefore, non-HEPA masks will not be useful in protecting individuals from smoke-related effects.”

Where to check your local air quality and how much PM 2.5 is in your area

The AirNow website can tell you how much particulate matter is in the air in your area. It also offers health and lifestyle advice based on that result. Go to https://www.airnow.gov/ and enter your zip code.

Print a copy of the EPA’s Air Quality Index Guide at https://bit.ly/3aNtw5X.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She writes about science, the arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and further Facebook. Join Jessica in the Go away! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, subscribe today. thank you.