A dust advisory has been issued for Prince George due to high concentrations of particulate matter.
The current conditions are caused by road traffic stirring up winter traction materials that have accumulated over the past winter.
Exposure to particulate matter is a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, lung or heart disease.
Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions should postpone exercise near busy roads until the advisory is lifted.
The provincial ambient air quality objective is 50 micrograms per cubic metre, averaged over 24 hours. Current 24-hour average concentrations for Prince George are 50.2, while it is 83.8 in Quesnel and 51.1 in Burns Lake.
09:45 EnvCanada issued statement #AirQuality #PrinceGeorge #BCStorm https://t.co/PB9rSxVLkT
— PrinceGeorge (@ECAlertBC79) March 19, 2019
To reduce risk avoid roads with heavy vehicle traffic, keep windows and doors closed and reduce indoor sources of pollution like smoking or vacuuming, or run an air cleaner which can help reduce indoor concentrations of particulate matter.
Also, use common sense regarding outdoor physical activity, so if your breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable, stop or reduce the activity.
The City of Prince George’s Clean Air Bylaw prohibits all open burning, including backyard burning, and land clearing burning. During air quality advisories, this bylaw also prohibits street sweeping activities), recreational fires, and use of wood-burning appliances (except for sole wood burning heat users).
Industry is also asked to reduce emissions wherever possible during the advisory.
To keep up-to-date, real-time air quality observations and information on health effects can be found online.
