Parkland Airshed Management Zone
Air Quality Health Advisory LiftedEdmonton 2010/08/26
The provincewide air quality health advisory issued on Aug. 19 has been lifted due to improved air quality and reduced drift of smoke from forest fires in British Columbia.
“The air quality has greatly improved this week throughout the province,” said Dr. André Corriveau, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “If smoke does drift into Alberta from British Columbia it’s not expected to be at a level that would be hazardous to health. In the meantime, I advise anyone with asthma, bronchitis or emphysema to monitor local air quality conditions before planning any outdoor activities.”
Only trace amounts of smoke may affect air quality in Alberta over the weekend, according to Bluesky, a smoke forecasting system used by Alberta and British Columbia. The smoke tracking system can be viewed online at www.bcairquality.com/bluesky.
Smoke and fine particulate matter in the air can be absorbed deep into an individual's lungs where it can aggravate existing health conditions. People with respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, or cardiovascular conditions such as angina, previous heart attack and congestive heart failure may be most affected.
In co-operation with Alberta Environment, Alberta Health and Wellness and Alberta Health Services monitor the air quality throughout the province. Current air quality and the Air Quality Index (AQI) can be accessed at Alberta Environment’s website at www.environment.alberta.ca/index.html, by clicking on Current Air Quality (Quick Links) or by calling 1-877-247-7333.
