Air Quality Alert Issued For Tuesday On Long Island

LONG ISLAND, NY — The air quality will be poor Tuesday on Long Island, the Hudson Valley, New York City metro area, even the Adirondacks, central New York and eastern Lake Ontario, officials said Monday afternoon.

The pollutant of concern is: Fine Particulate Matter. The advisory will be in effect from midnight through 11:59 p.m.

People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease, the National Weather Service said.

The NWS also projected near surface smoke concentration from eastern Canadian wildfires to start arriving Monday.

"AccuWeather forecasters say a dip in the jet stream will send smoke pouring southward out of Canada and into the northern and eastern U.S. for much of this week," said Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist. "Smoke will spread over much of the Great Lakes and portions of the interior Northeast while hazy conditions will be even more wide-reaching."

As of May 31, wildfires in Canada had already burned a total amount of more than 1.3 million acres above the 40-year historical average pace for an entire season. Currently, some of the worst fires there are across large portions of Quebec, she said.
Exposure to large concentrations of fine particulate matter can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and shortness of breath. Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive to PM 2.5.

When outdoor levels are elevated, going indoors may reduce exposure. If there are significant indoor sources of PM 2.5 (tobacco, candle or incense smoke, or fumes from cooking) levels inside may not be lower than outside. Some ways to reduce exposure are to minimize outdoor and indoor sources and avoid strenuous activities in areas where fine particle concentrations are high.
Air Quality Health Advisory regions consist of the following: Long Island which includes Nassau and Suffolk counties; New York City Metro which includes New York City, Rockland, and Westchester counties; Lower Hudson Valley which includes Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster, and Sullivan counties; Upper Hudson Valley which includes Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Washington counties; Adirondacks which includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, northern Herkimer, Lewis, St. Lawrence, and Warren counties; Eastern Lake Ontario which includes northern Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Oswego, and Wayne counties; Central New York which includes Allegany, Broome, southern Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, southern Herkimer, Livingston, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, and Yates counties.

State environmental and health officials urged New Yorkers to also take these energy saving and pollution-reducing steps:

1. use mass transit instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities.
2. conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips;
3. turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas;
4. use fans to circulate air. If air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees;
5. close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air;
6. limit use of household appliances. If necessary, run the appliances at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters;
7. set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;
8. purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label; and
9. reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5 such as smoking.