Outdoor Air Quality
 Outdoor air pollution can impact our health. It can irritate, inflame, or destroy lung tissue. It weakens the lung's defenses against contaminants. Even relatively low levels of air pollution are associated with effects to health. The health effects of outdoor air pollution can be unnoticeable in the short term, but may have cumulative effects leading to long term problems.
Symptoms can range from irritation of eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, and breathing difficulties to tightness of chest and worsening of existing lung and heart problems.
Children, the elderly, and people with lung and heart disease are especially vulnerable to poor outdoor air quality. However, even healthy individuals may have more difficulty breathing on days when the air is highly polluted.
Health effects vary depending on weather conditions, topography, level of exposure, type of pollutant combinations, local sources, and an individual's pre-existing health and age.
Here are some things you can do to reduce your
exposure to air pollution:
- Consider rescheduling any strenuous outdoor activities on high pollution days, but also keep the quality of your indoor air in mind. An indoor environment filled with tobacco smoke, chemicals from cleaning products, or moulds due to humidity, can also have a negative impact on your health.
- High pollution levels often correspond with hot, humid summer days. This combination can be dangerous, possibly leading to dehydration. Drink plenty of water on these days.
- Be aware! To make informed decisions you need accurate, up to date information. To find out more about what you can do, check out other areas at this site or link to these other resources:
• Environment Canada
• Natural Resources Canada
• Canadian Public Health Association
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