Outdoor Air Quality

What is Air Quality?                                   
Air quality is the guide to the amount of pollution in the air. Air quality can range from healthy to dangerous depending on the amount of pollutants in the air. There is a helpful tool called the air quality index which can help you to determine what the air is like in your community.

Air Quality Index
The air quality index provides a helpful guide to understand when high levels of pollution are predicted to impact your health. The tables below give examples of how to protect your health at each air quality level.

How does the air quality impact my health?
Air quality impacts your health when it is at an unhealthy pollution level because the pollutant particles can make their way into your lungs. When particles enter your lungs they can reduce your body’s ability to take in oxygen. Common symptoms of poor air quality include:

• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Coughing
• Tightness of the chest
• Fatigue
• Aggravation of existing health conditions

Poor air quality can affect people in certain sensitive groups more aggressively than those without not in those groups. That is why when air quality is in the yellow or orange zone, the air quality index indicates different recommendations for those who are considered sensitive populations. Populations that are at a higher risk for negative effects from poor air quality are:

• Children under 18 years of age
• Adults 65 years of age or older
• Pregnant women
• People with a history of smoking
• People with current respiratory illnesses, chronic lung disease (like asthma and COPD), diabetes (type 1 and 2), heart disease, and certain other long-term health conditions
• People who are unhoused or unsheltered due to increased exposure outdoors

What can I do to protect myself and my family?

• Stay up to date on air quality. Local air sensors can be found at lovemyair.com/Nebraska/home/map and purple air or download the LoveMyAir network app to get push notifications when there is poor air quality in your community
  

LINK: Download for iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/love-my-air-network/id1620484569
LINK: Download for Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensibleiot.lma&hl=en_US&gl=US

• Know your wildfire risk. Knowing your wildfire risk can help you to plan for a potentially poor air quality day
• Prevent indoor pollution. Avoid or limit the following:
•  Air fresheners, diffusing oils, candles
• Smoking or vaping indoors
• Broiling or frying foods
• Using gas or propane stoves, furnaces or heaters

                  Check out this video for helpful guide to creating a “clean room”: https://youtu.be/V8DqzogXcVg        

• Stay with family or friends, if your indoor air quality cannot be maintained at a safe level
• Work with your doctor if you are sensitive to poor air quality so you can develop a safety plan.
• Evacuate if necessary. Follow instructions from our local emergency management systems and evacuate if necessary.