Copyright Newsweek
Residents near Jacksonville, Florida, faced potentially harmful levels of air pollution on Thursday morning, a live map from AirNow showed. The map showed levels of fine particle (PM2.5) pollution in the "unhealthy" category spanning communities just north of Jacksonville, including Nassauville, Franklintown, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Callahan, O’Neil, Fawnwood, and Kingsland. AirNow is a partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other agencies. Experts caution that deteriorating air quality can heighten health risks for vulnerable populations, which includes older adults, children and people with respiratory illnesses. When air quality falls into the “unhealthy” range, the EPA recommends that sensitive groups avoid long or strenuous outdoor activities, and consider rescheduling or moving them indoors. The rest of the population should reduce long or intense activities, and take more breaks during outdoor activities, according to the EPA. More to follow.
