Air Quality Could Be Dangerous For Some In Philadelphia Area Wednesday

PHILADELPHIA — As smoke from Canadian fires wafts to the East Coast, environmental officials in Pennsylvania are signaling potentially dangerous air quality for Wednesday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has declared Air Quality Action Day in the Philadelphia region Wednesday.

Officials Tuesday declared a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for the region, which includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.

A code orange action day means the air has unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive groups of people.

Young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems — such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis — are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities Friday, the department said.

According to the DEP, easterly wind flow from the last few days will continue Wednesday, and temperatures will be a few degrees higher than Tuesday.

A mix of sun and clouds early will become mostly sunny by the afternoon, but hazy conditions are expected as a plume of smoke from a large wildfire in Nova Scotia will enter the region with the easterly flow.

Officials said the smoke may be close enough to the surface to see several hours with elevated concentrations of fine particulate matter.

The wildfire smoke may recirculate back into the area on Thursday, according to the DEP.

Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Action Day areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce ozone air pollution by:

• driving less by carpooling or using public transportation;
• combining errands to reduce vehicle trips;
• limiting engine idling;
• refueling cars and trucks after dusk; and
• conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.

Tips to help reduce fine particulate matter, reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use; avoid the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials; and avoid the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.