How To Check The Air Quality In Edison, Metuchen

EDISON, NJ — The smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada continues to hit New Jersey, leaving the air unhealthy to breathe. In Edison and Metuchen, the air reached "very unhealthy" levels on Thursday, according to officials.

Vulnerable people — including those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens — should avoid outdoor physical activity, while all others should take significant precautions.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued an Air Quality Action Day for fine particulates — a "Code Red" through the end of Thursday and a "Code Orange" for Friday.

That means officials are expecting the air quality to remain unhealthy on Friday, a major concern for sensitive groups.

"Levels of fine particulates will remain in the unhealthy category through the daytime hours today due to the wildfire smoke from eastern Canadian wildfires," the state agency said.

The frequency, extent and severity of wildfires mark important indicators of climate change, environmental officials say. The peak of the nation's wildfire season is also occurring earlier — peaking in August from 1984-2001 and then in July from 2002-20, according to research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Here's How You Can Monitor Air Quality

AirNow.gov reports air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI). They have air-quality data from around the country. On Thursday morning, the air quality in Edison and Metuchen reached "very unhealthy" level.

Air quality alerts depend on a number of factors. They include the detection of fine-particle pollution — or "PM 2.5" — which is known to irritate the lungs.

On Thursday morning, the township and borough had a particulate matter level of 234 around 8 a.m. The "very unhealthy" levels fall between 201 and 300. A level above 300 is deemed “hazardous.”

Here's the AQI scale:

• Good/green: 0-50
• Moderate/yellow: 51-100
• Unhealthy for sensitive groups/orange: 101-150
• Unhealthy/red: 151-200
• Very unhealthy/purple: 201-300
• Hazardous/maroon: 301-500

Edison opened the Council chambers to people seeking respite from the unhealthy air. Meanwhile, Metuchen Mayor Jonathan M. Busch along with borough officials asked youth sports leagues to consider rescheduling outdoor events.

What Does The Forecast Say:

According to the National Weather Service, the smoke should thin out somewhat by Thursday, but the northwest flow will intensify in the afternoon with smoke and haze. The smoke could thicken again overnight, the agency predicted.

Friday morning will be the best window of the day for outdoor plans as a late morning stray shower can precede the greater risk for scattered showers/storms in the afternoon. A quiet and dry weekend is excepted to follow

Guidance For Staying Safe

• Sensitive populations should remain indoors.
• Individuals with asthma and respiratory diseases should follow the physician's recommendations and respiratory management plan.
• People in general should avoid strenuous activities and limit the amount of time they are active outdoors.
• The most effective way to prevent breathing harmful particles from wildfire smoke is to stay indoors with windows and doors closed.
• If an air conditioner is available, run it while keeping the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside.
• Do not use candles and fireplaces when air quality is poor which could add to indoor air pollution.
• Do not vacuum, because it stirs up particles already inside the home.
• Do not smoke tobacco or other products, because smoking puts even more pollution into the air.
• Do not rely on dust masks for protection. Paper “comfort” or “dust” masks commonly found at hardware stores trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from smoke.
• People who must be outside can have some protection from an N95 mask if worn properly.

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