Chicagoans woke up today to hazy skies and irregularly low air quality. Today in Chicago, the Air Quality Index (AQI), which measures levels of air pollutants, is fluctuating between 160 and 180. This indicates an "unhealthy" level of air pollution according to the American Lung Association. Based on this level, the ALA advises children and adults to avoid prolonged outdoor exertion. The air quality has not reached a "very unhealthy" or "hazardous" level where outdoor activity has to be avoided altogether.
Compared to adults, children face increased risk due to air pollution because their lungs are still developing and they often spend more active time outside. Still, the negative effects of air pollution on children's lung health are primarily attributed to long-term exposure to pollution. One, or even a few, days of unhealthy air quality in Chicago are unlikely to pose a major threat to the health of children or adults. Long-term air pollutant exposure is a severe issue in low and middle-income countries, where the vast majority of children experience poor air quality consistently. Today in Chicago, parents may want to consider limiting their children's time outdoors or wearing masks if desired.
More information:
https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/air-quality-index
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/air-purifier-wildfire-smoke/
-Elena Eisenberg, summer intern