Air Quality Advisory in Effect

Friday, July 21, 2006 01:13 PM

The Ministry of Environment has issued an Air Quality advisory for Prince George because of high levels of fine particulate matter. The Ministry advises that all residents, and especially those who suffer from cardiac and respiratory diseases, should be aware these particulate levels could cause adverse health effects.

The high levels are due to a mix of dust (coarser particles), and combustion emissions (smoke) to the northeast of downtown. An upper high pressure ridge moving through the area, which has brought dry conditions and light winds, is supposed to continue for the next few days. The build-up of air pollutants is helped by overnight calm winds and temperature inversions in the valley.

The Ministry only issues advisories when the air quality objective is exceeded, but health effect risks from fine particulate start well below that level.

For more information on particulate matter levels please call the 24 hour Ministry of Environment Air Quality Index Line at 565-6457 or check the Ministry’s website at http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/nor/pollution/environmental/air/index.html.

For information on the effects of air quality on persons with respiratory or cardiac illnesses please contact the Northern Health at 565- 2150 or check the Northern Health website at www.Northernhealth.ca.

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Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 01:13 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: camoose on July 21 2006 7:06 PM

I have noticed this phrase in several alerts recently. In plain english, just what does this mean? Industrial polution? Slash burning? Just words that mean nothing except to spin doctors?

Posted by: owl on July 22 2006 1:32 AM

Pollution is the release of chemical, physical, biological, radioctive contaminants to the environment.

Pollution which is caused by an industrial operation can be called an industrial pollution. Example, the heating of plywood in its manufacturing process releases formaldehyde from the glue which is then typically released into the air.

Pollution can be air, water, soil, noise, light, visual.

Slash is branches and other residue left on the forest floor after cutting timber. Usually it is piled up and burned. However, due to the smoke it causes, as well as the fire hazard it might create, it is often chipped near residential areas. Slash from removing the pine beetle wood in the City is typically chipped, not burned.

So, however one may wish to spin the stuff, in the end it is all the same.

For instance, one spin can be that pollution is from "road dust". That can mean that it is not "industrial pollution" to some.

However, if it is mainly the dust coming from work yards and unpaved roads near industrial "parks" such as the BCR, the "dust" is caused due to industrial activity and, if the roads and yards were paved or other dust abatement processes were to be required, including washing down the trucks as they come into the city from unpaved, dusty forestry roads, that form of insustrial pollution would be considerably reduced.

Why is pollution control important? In cities it is primarily because it impacts human health in a similar fashion that smoking cigarettes does.

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on July 22 2006 7:49 AM

Oh, I thought it just made your clothes on the wash line dirty. I lived beside a dusty road most of my life, worked in a mine in the winter and fought fires in the summer. People tell me I have an unhealthy attitude, must have been in the air I breathe! Hee hee!

Posted by: owl on July 22 2006 9:11 AM

And you probably smoke 2 packs a day, drink a six pack or more a day and you'll live to the ripe olde age of 105.

Never heard of anyone that old saying they jogged each day, switched to a vegetarian diet when they were 15, got a good 8 hours of sleep each day, and drank only natural juices. Those people normally die by the time they are 60 or so.

;-)