Code Red: Today's air is unhealthy

Much of North Carolina is under a "Code Red" air quality warning today. Image: NC DEQ

High pollution levels from wildfires in Quebec have prompted a Code Red air quality alert today, meaning that the air is unhealthy for everyone. The NC Department of Environmental Quality issued the alert based on levels of very fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5.

PM 2.5 – which is smaller than the width of a human hair – burrows into the lungs and invades the bloodstream. Short-term exposure can induce asthma attacks, bronchitis and irregular heartbeat, even severe enough to require hospitalization.

If possible, all people should limit their time or exertion outdoors. Older adults, children, active people and those with heart and lung problems could be especially sensitive. As the smoke continues to build into the state, high levels of fine particles are expected to mix near ground level, according to a DEQ press release.

Chronic exposure to PM 2.5 can increase the risk of dementia, and cause premature birth and low birth weight — both of which can portend health problems later in life. Black women have preterm birth rates 50% higher than white women, primarily because of exposure to air pollution from highways, factories and other contaminating industries that tend to cluster in nonwhite neighborhoods.

A 2022 study of PM 2.5 exposure in the Southeast, including North Carolina, tracked the health of 13.5 million people ages 65 and older, for 16 years. Researchers found that long-term exposure to the components of PM 2.5 — black carbon, nitrate, organic matter, soil particles and sulfate — was associated with higher rates of premature death. The study was published in the journal Environment International.

Areas of North Carolina had elevated levels of PM 2.5 components. High nitrate concentrations were found in eastern North Carolina, and high sulfate levels occurred in central parts of the state. Sections of the North Carolina-Tennessee border also registered high levels of PM 2.5-related pollutants.

What's in PM 2.5?

by Lisa Sorg, NC Newsline June 7, 2023

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Assistant Editor and Environmental Reporter Lisa Sorg helps manage newsroom operations while covering the environment, climate change, agriculture and energy.