| A quick search of the internet suggests this is real, odd as it is to have warnings of forest fire pollution on the heels of half the country being shut down because of unusually bitter cold and heavy snowfall. |
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Hundreds of thousands of Americans across four states are waking up to a dire warning to stay indoors because the air outside is hazardous to breathe.
Pollutants reached 'unhealthy' levels for residents in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma on Monday morning, officials said.
An air quality tracking system from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) detected an extremely hazardous pocket of polluted air around the Pittsburgh suburbs, just ten miles south of the Pennsylvania city.
Live data captured sharply elevated levels of PM2.5, microscopic particles composed of toxic compounds or heavy metals that are small enough to penetrate the lungs, exacerbate respiratory issues such as asthma, and contribute to heart attacks.
In the South, a 110-mile swath across eastern Oklahoma has been declared unhealthy by the EPA, and a 127-mile-long pocket centered over Columbus, Georgia, is dealing with highly polluted air Monday morning.
The increased levels have been linked to recent wildfire smoke, which exacerbates a condition called stagnant air, where little to no wind and high atmospheric pressure trap pollution near ground level.
Air quality levels are measured on a scale from 0 to 500: good (0–50) carries little risk, moderate (51–100) may affect sensitive individuals, unhealthy for sensitive groups (101–150) poses increased risk and unhealthy (151–200) impacts everyone, limiting outdoor activity.
In Glassport, Pennsylvania, the Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 192, while readings in parts of Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alabama exceeded 150.
The worst readings were recorded near Eastaboga, Alabama, where IQAir reporting stations recorded an AQI of 170 and PM2.5 levels 16.6 times the World Health Organization's recommended safe limit.
The EPA has warned that all Georgia residents between Lagrange and Fort Gaines are in hazard zone for high levels of PM2.5.
Residents in the affected areas have been advised to avoid outdoor exercise, wear a face mask if going outside, close all windows to prevent polluted air from coming inside, and turn on air purifiers if you own one.
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