Aug 4, 2025
Air Quality Health Alert: Take Action
Air quality health advisory issued for WNY:
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton and State Department of Health (DOH) Commissioner Dr. James McDonald issued an updated Air Quality Health Advisory for fine particulate matter on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, for the New York City Metro, Lower Hudson Valley, Upper Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Eastern Lake Ontario, and Central and Western New York regions due to the impact of smoke from wildfires in Canada. In addition, there is the potential for visible smoke and hazy skies across the state and New Yorkers may see temporary spikes in smoke-related pollution.
- The pollutant of concern is: Fine Particulate Matter
The advisory will be in effect from 12:00 a.m. until 11:59 p.m August 4, 2025.
What is fine particulate matter?
Fine particulate matter (PM) consists of tiny solid particles or liquid droplets in the air that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter. PM 2.5 can be made of many different types of particles and often come from processes that involve combustion (e.g., vehicle exhaust, power plants, and fires) and from chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is the current source of elevated PM in our region. Wildfire smoke is a mix of gases and fine particles from burning trees and plants, buildings, and other material. Smoke from wildfires can travel hundreds to thousands of miles, impacting areas far from the original fire and contributes to ground-level ozone pollution.
Who can get sick from air pollution?
Wildfire smoke and fine particulate matter (PM) air pollution can make anyone sick, including pets, but the following are especially at risk:
- People with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
- Disease (COPD) or heart disease, other chronic conditions
- Pregnant people
- Older adults
- Children
- First responders
- People who work or exercise outdoors
- People with reduced intake of certain nutrients, such as vitamins C and E
What are the health effects of breathing polluted air?
Immediate health symptoms of breathing air polluted with wildfire smoke and PM 2.5 include:
- Coughing
- Trouble breathing
- Wheezing
- Asthma attacks
- Scratchy throat
- Runny nose
- Irritated sinuses/nose
- Stinging eyes
- Headaches
- Tiredness
- Chest pain
- Fast heartbeat
The long term health effects include:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Lung cancer
- Decreased lung function
- Bronchitis
- Asthma attacks
- Decline in cognitive function
Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly impacted by PM 2.5.
Monitor your symptoms and talk to your health care provider. You may also want to talk with a health care provider about your personal health risks when smokey or polluted air cannot be avoided.
Monitor your local AQI
Just like we use weather forecasts to tell us how to plan for heat, cold and storms, the Air Quality Index (AQI) tells us how to prepare for how clean or polluted the air is outside. On days with a high AQI (poor air quality), planning ahead and taking proper action can help prevent short term and long term health effects of breathing dirty air.
- You can check your local AQI by zip code at AirNow.gov
- New York State Air Quality Hotline at (800) 535-1345
- View NYS latest air quality forecast
- If you would like to be notified when daily air quality reaches a level of your choice, you can sign up for Enviroflash at enviroflash.info
How to reduce your exposure to poor quality air:
Though outdoor air is generally impossible to avoid completely, limiting the amount of time you spend outside breathing the polluted air is recommended. Other measures you can take are:
- Stay indoors when health officials advise to do so
- Choose a room you can close off from outside air.
- Close windows, doors, fireplace dampers and turn off ventilation systems.
- Spend more time indoors, where particle pollution levels are usually lower. Postpone any outdoor activities, including sports or hard physical work. They can wait.
- Consider air filters and use as directed.
- If you have to go outside, consider wearing the right respirator mask (N95 or P100) and wear it correctly NIOSH has not approved respirators for children. If you have heart or lung disease ask your doctor if it is safe for you to wear a respirator.
- Avoid using candles, gas, propane, wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, or aerosol sprays and don’t fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products, or vacuum.
- If you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from smoke. If your system has a fresh air intake, set the system to recirculate mode or close the outdoor intake damper.
- Set your car's climate control system to recirculate
- Find a place to keep cool indoors
Protect your pets & animals too!
Animals and pets can be also be affected by wildfire smoke and bad ozone:
Learn how to protect pets and protect livestock.
Take action to reduce air pollution:
New Yorkers also are urged to take the following energy-saving and pollution-reducing steps:
- use mass transit or carpool instead of driving, as automobile emissions account for about 60 percent of pollution in our cities
- conserve fuel and reduce exhaust emissions by combining necessary motor vehicle trips
- turn off all lights and electrical appliances in unoccupied areas
- use fans to circulate air
- if air conditioning is necessary, set thermostats at 78 degrees
- close the blinds and shades to limit heat build-up and to preserve cooled air
- limit use of household appliances, and run appliances, when necessary, at off-peak (after 7 p.m.) hours. These would include dishwashers, dryers, pool pumps and water heaters
- set refrigerators and freezers at more efficient temperatures;
- purchase and install energy efficient lighting and appliances with the Energy Star label
- reduce or eliminate outdoor burning and attempt to minimize indoor sources of PM 2.5, such as smoking
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