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Fall Air Quality Updates for Forsyth County

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What’s Up, Forsyth? In this blog post, we explain how the air pollution and airborne pollen levels are changing seasonally. We also compare Forsyth County’s air quality and pollen season in 2024 with 2023 and share tips for reducing air pollution exposure this winter. How is our air quality changing this time of year? Ground-level ozone season (the period of time when we monitor and forecast for ozone) lasts from March 1 st to October 31 st . This is because sunlight and heat are needed for it to form. Between November 1 st and February 28 th /29 th , ozone concentrations are much lower since our days are shorter and colder, and it is not necessary, nor required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to monitor for ozone in North Carolina during this period. Particulate matter (PM) concentrations can be high any time of year, therefore, we monitor PM and provide the air quality forecast for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) year-round. PM levels are generally higher in win...
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Breathe Better, Save Money: Reducing Engine Idling in Forsyth County

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What's up, Forsyth?! As we enter the hottest month of the year here in North Carolina, one of the most important things we can do to reduce ozone pollution is to turn off our engines. That's because ground-level ozone needs heat and sunlight to form . Recently, Forsyth County Property Management has worked with the Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection (EAP) to install several “Breathe Better, Save Money” idling reduction signs as a part of a Triad Air Awareness initiative. While these signs serve as reminders at a few county-owned lots and decks, it’s important that we eliminate unnecessary engine idling wherever we are. Idling not only contributes to air pollution in Forsyth County; it also wastes money. The simple act of turning off an engine can help protect everyone’s health, and it saves on fuel and engine maintenance costs. We have summarized the major benefits of idling reduction below: Idling pollutes our air and threatens our health. Cars produce mo...
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Fireworks, Barbecues, Particulate Matter, Oh My!

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 The Impact of July 4th Celebrations on Our Air What’s up, Forsyth?! As we look forward to Fourth of July celebrations this week, it’s important to remember that many of the activities associated with the holiday, including fireworks and backyard barbecues,  can have a negative impact on our air quality and human health . "Happy 4th of July! The American Flag in Fireworks" by Beverly & Pack is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. Fireworks produce large amounts of both coarse and fine particulate matter, which can damage lung tissue. Fine particles (PM2.5 or soot) are especially harmful because they are small enough to enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart attacks and arrhythmias, strokes, and the development of certain mental health and cognitive disorders. Fireworks also contain nitrogen and sulfur for color and special effects, and when these can combine with oxygen, they can form nitric and sulfuric acids. Not only are these reactive compounds unhealthy t...
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What Could Smoke from Canadian Wildfires Mean for Triad Air Quality?

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What's up, Forsyth?? In this blog post, we will discuss how wildfires in Canada could affect air quality in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region this summer.  During the summer of 2023, Canada experienced the most destructive wildfire season on record, with over 45 million acres burned . Although western US states were already familiar with air quality impacts of wildfires, the smoke that spread from Canadian wildfires last summer resulted in some of the worst air quality that many eastern states had seen in decades. Here in the Triad, we experienced five code orange and two code red air quality action days, even though the fires were hundreds to thousands of miles from us. " Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Blankets U.S. " by  NOAASatellites  is marked with  Public Domain Mark 1.0 . This satellite image was taken on June 6, 2023. A New Normal? Unfortunately, poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke may become more common for the East Coast, as Canada braces ...
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Understanding the New PM2.5 Standard

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What's up, Forsyth?? In this blog post, we will explain an important regulatory change from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that affects the air quality monitoring and forecasting activities of our agency. The Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection provides daily air quality forecasts for fine particulate matter 365 days per year. A New Standard!    On February 7 , 2024, EPA revised the primary annual health-based national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), changing the level from 12 microgram s per cubic meter of air ( μg/m 3 ) to 9 μg/m 3 . EPA periodically reviews and updates NAAQS based on the latest available scientific data and technical information. While the primary annual NAAQS for PM2.5 has become more protective , EPA has not revised any of the other PM NAAQS, including the primary 24-hour PM2.5 standar d of 35 μg /m 3 , for 2024.   Watch US EPA Administrator Michael Regan as he...
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