Showing posts with label los angeles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label los angeles. Show all posts

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Air Quality Worsens as South California Wildfires Continue to Burn

As the air quality in and around the Los Angeles area continues to worsen due to uncontained wildfires, more and more South California residents carry on searching for a solution to remove the soot and ash that have been emitted into the air in dangerous quantities.

According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the San Fernando Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley and portions of the San Gabriel Mountains will be directly affected by the smoke.

The California chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reported that high winds can spread pollen and other allergens, increasing the risk of asthma attacks.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) experts at AllerAir Industries suggest that people who live in or around the area equip their homes with an air purifier designed to remove the dangerous toxins emitted through wildfire smoke.

People living in affected wildfire areas are invited to visit www.allerair.com or contact one of AllerAir’s IAQ Experts at 1-888-852-8247 for more information on air purifiers or the dangers of wildfire smoke.

Wildfires Blaze in Southern California: L.A., San Fernando and San Diego County Affected

Two people are dead, dozens of Southern California homes have been destroyed and thousands have fled after powerful winds fueled three wildfires in the Los Angeles, San Fernando and northern San Diego County area.

The health hazards are extreme, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Experts warn, even for residents living miles away from affected areas.

“Smoke from wildfires includes small particles of ash, water vapor, gases and carbon monoxide that are very dangerous when inhaled,” said Karen Hand, chemical engineer and IAQ Expert at AllerAir Industries. “The air inside homes and businesses is going to be as polluted, if not more polluted, than the air outdoors. It’s more important than ever before that Californians take appropriate measures like including an air purifier to remove dangerous airborne gases, chemicals, odors and particles.”

Hand says an effective air purifier for wildfire smoke has to incorporate a medical-grade HEPA filter that traps 99.97% of fine particles measuring 0.3 microns or larger, as well as deep bed carbon filters to adsorb gases, chemicals and tough smoke odor.

She recommends AllerAir’s AirMedic D Exec, 5000 DS Exec, 5000 Exec, 6000 DS Exec and the 6000 Exec. For more information on these units, visit www.allerair.com, or call 1.888.852.8247 for more information on air purifiers and the dangers of wildfire smoke.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Air Quality Report Details Dangers of Ship Smoke to Coastal Cities

Scientists from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) have released a report showing that residents of coastal cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Montreal, Los Angeles and Houston, are at risk to the dangers of the dirty smoke emitted from ships cruising at sea and generating electricity in port.

The report finds that on some days, the dirty smoke from ships accounts for nearly half of the fine, sulfur-rich particulate matter in the air known to be hazardous to human health.

Until this report was recently released, air quality experts have been unable to quantify the contribution of ship smoke to coastal city air pollution.

Ships that burn a cheaper, sulfur-rich fuel called “bunker oil” produce primary sulfate, or SO4, which is especially dangerous to people because of its fine microscopic particles that measure less than 1.5 microns or a millionth of a meter in size. These particles can travel extremely long distances because they stay in the atmosphere for longer periods and, unlike bigger dust grains and particles that are removed by the body when breathed, remain in the lungs.

Mark Thiemens, dean of the division of physical sciences and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCSD, told the Houston Business Journal, that ships remain unregulated when it comes to air pollution standards, and with global shipping expected to increase, this report should influence policy makers on making more informed decisions about improving the quality of air for coastal citizens.

While international rules may one day require ships to burn clean-burning fuels, and some states like California will quickly be requiring ships to switch to safer, more expensive fuels when nearing its coastal cities, many other cities remain unprotected by regulations

Citizens, in the meantime, should be aware that there are definite dangers to the sulfur-rich particulate matter that this report now shows to be found in increased quantities in coastal air. Chemicals and fine particles released by this matter go deep into the lungs and can cause irreparable damage.

There are air purifiers that are designed specifically to combat microscopic particles. Such a unit would need to combine a deep carbon filter, along with a HEPA filter that removes 99.97 percent of airborne dust and particles measuring 0.3 microns.

AllerAir is one of the industry leaders in providing air quality solutions. For more information on how to safeguard yourself and your family from the effects of dirty smoke from ships, please visit www.allerair.com.