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| The quality of the air we breathe is critical to our health and that of our children, yet every year smog alerts seem to be more and more common. As Caledonians, we can actually see the smog. As we drive around Caledon and look towards Toronto on the hotter and more humid summer days, the smog is that brownish-yellow haze hanging over the City, sometimes with the CN Tower poking out of it. Smog is a mixture of many harmful pollutants, but is mainly ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter. Ozone is usually OK – as long as it is 30 km up in the atmosphere where is protects us from the sun’s UV rays! Ground-level ozone is an invisible gas that is toxic to our respiratory system, and is the pollutant that has triggered most of the smog alerts in Ontario. Solar energy is a key ingredient in ‘making’ smog, hence the smog alerts in the summer months. Ozone is produced by the interaction of solar energy with nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. The fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide give smog its brownish-yellow, hazy appearance. Surprisingly, we were even close to experiencing a couple of smog alert days this past winter. Ontarians were using almost record amounts of electricity and generation facilities in Ontario and stateside were meeting demand by burning more fossil fuels. With our position downwind from some major sources of smog producing gases and particulates, there were a few really bad air days in southern Ontario. Believe it or not, we in the ‘country’ are not immune. We can experience smog and poor air quality too. We just don’t realize it, or want to believe it. How can it be? Polluted air masses cover large regions and move slowly, so smog and particulates are not just confined to urban or industrial areas. On some days, Caledon’s air quality can be even worse than in the City.
How can you check the air quality? The Ministry of Environment uses the Air Quality Index (AQI) to communicate the quality of our air and any health-related alerts. The AQI is a numerical measurement ranging from 0 to 100+. Any reading over 50 is considered poor and a smog advisory will be issued. If you are sensitive to high air pollution levels, stay inside and limit activity. Click here to find the air quality in your area! Nearby AQI monitoring stations are located in Barrie, Brampton, Guelph, Mississauga and Newmarket – check them out! Smog can affect your health in many ways: eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing and wheezing, reduced lung capacity, lowered resistance to infection, increased heart and lung conditions, hospitalization, and even early death. Occurrences of asthma in both children and adults are also way up. What’s most alarming is that asthma diagnoses seem to be happening at earlier and earlier ages. Poor air quality has a serious impact on our health-care system. In 2000, the Ontario Medical Association released a report estimating that 1900 premature deaths, 9800 hospital admissions, and 13,000 emergency room visits each year were due to air pollution, resulting in costs of $600 million to the health-care system and another $560 million in losses to employers and employees. This represents over $1.1 billion in direct costs to Ontario citizens, annually. Smog affects everyone, but certain groups face greater risks. These groups include children, seniors, people with asthma, allergies, and heart or lung conditions, and people who work or exercise outdoors.
Click here for more www.region.peel.on.ca/health/smog |
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