Still Life with Robin: Are your eyes burning? Does the air smell smoky? This website may be helpful

by Peggy Robin

It will be a few more days before we get some real relief from this dangerously bad air that's hanging over our region. In the meantime, follow the health recommendations of the American Lung Association:

On days when the air quality is orange, red, purple or maroon:

• Reduce the time you spend outdoors when the AQI value is high. Also, reduce the intensity of outdoor activity. According to the EPA, the chances of being affected by unhealthy levels of air pollution increase the longer a person is active outdoors and the more strenuous the activity.
• If you must go outdoors, consider wearing a mask. “Unfortunately, not all masks provide adequate protection against particle pollution. Cloth or dust masks, for instance, may not effectively filter out fine particles. However, well-fitted N95 or KN95 masks have better filtration capabilities and may be beneficial on days when the AQI level of concern is high.
• Keep your air indoors healthy by keeping the windows and doors closed. Run air conditioning on the recirculate setting, use a portable HEPA air cleaner or, if it is difficult to maintain clean air in your entire house, create a clean room.
  

Need more science-based advice? Sorry, I'm not the person to ask. (No science classes beyond high school chem.) However, I do have one useful tip which I hope you will find worthwhile. No, it's not a medical or environmental website; it's a vocabulary site. While we're sitting around indoors, complaining, we grow frustrated (or at least I do) by having to use the same old words to talk about our bad air: e.g., smoky, hazy, polluted, code red (or code purple, maroon, or, if things improve, orange)

Merriam-Webster's dictionary site to the rescue! Here are a few fresh descriptors for the air we breathe this weekend -- and to use again next time....and the next, and the next....

Fuliginous

Miasmic

Acrid

Sooty

Image by Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster, posting on SiForkasTwit
(the site formerly known as Twitter)

I learn something every day from this site. You can follow it here: 

https://x.com/MerriamWebster 

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Still LIfe with Robin is an occasional feature of the Cleveland Park Listserv and the All Life Is Local blog - usually appearing on Saturdays.