It's Air Quality Awareness Week In Washington: What To Know

SEATTLE — This year, May 3 - 7 is Air Quality Awareness Week, and the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) is asking everyone to mark the occasion by considering air pollution and how it affects all of our lives.

"Everyone deserves to breathe clean air," the department said. "Breathing polluted air can cause serious health problems, and even premature death. Because we all breathe the same air, it is everyone’s responsibility to understand what causes air pollution and learn what each of us can do to help keep the air clean."

According to the DOE, Washington primarily deals with three types of particle pollution: smoke from fires, blowing dust, and vehicle exhaust.

Smoke

Longtime residents know that smoke from wildfires is a real problem, even life-threatening to some sensitive groups. Last summer, a massive plume of smoke blew in from California, graying our skies and lowering the air quality to dangerous levels for days on end.

While Washingtonians can't fix California's problems, there are things everyone can do to prevent fires here in our state, including:

• Not throwing cigarettes out of car windows.
• Not parking hot cars on grass.
• Making sure trailer chains don't drag on the ground or cause sparks.
• Reporting illegal burning.
• Properly putting out campfires.

Speaking of campfires, outdoor grilling, or really any activity that will kick up smoke, the Department of Ecology is reminding everyone to check burn bans before setting any kind of fire. They're also asking everyone to be considerate: the smoke from your backyard fire pit may not bother you, but it could pose a significant health risk to your neighbors.

If you normally burn yard waste, you might also consider alternatives like composting or chipping the waste instead, the DOE says.

Transportation and car exhaust

In Washington, vehicles are the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and toxic air pollution, according to the Department of Ecology.

This last legislative session included several bills trying to address climate change and greenhouse gases by transitioning more of Washington's public transit to electricity, but there are a few small ways everyone can cut greenhouse gases as well.

The DOE says you can help cut traffic pollution by driving an electric vehicle, making your home more energy efficient, or trying alternative forms of transportation like riding a bike or taking a carpool or bus to work.

Dust storms

This isn't really a problem for the Puget Sound, but Central and Eastern Washington can see significant dust storms during the spring, summer and early fall.

Unlike wildfires and car pollution, there isn't really anything that people can do to prevent dust storms, but if you live in an area prone to them, the DOE says it can be helpful to sign up for alerts from the National Weather Service.

Causes for concern

Poor air quality takes its toll on everyone, but it can be especially bad for sensitive groups like:

• The elderly
• Children
• Pregnant women
• Anyone with a history of heart disease or respiratory illness
• People with underlying health conditions

Symptoms of exposure to unhealthy levels of air pollution are:

• Eye, nose or throat irritation
• Shortness of breath, asthma attacks
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Watery or dry eyes
• Persistent cough
• Wheezing
• Scratchy throat
• Irritated sinuses
• An irregular heartbeat or chest pain
• Fatigue
• Heart attacks

Anyone who is sensitive to poor air quality is suffering extreme symptoms should leave the area and call their doctor immediately. Those who are in good health can generally alleviate symptoms by drinking more water, wearing an N95 mask outdoors and making sure the HEPA filter in your HVAC system has been recently replaced. You may also want to make your own clean air fan to clean the air circulating in your home.

>> Learn more about Air Quality Awareness Week 2021 from the Washington State Department of Ecology.