People with respiratory problems or heart disease should be limiting their outside exercise because tiny particles of pollution are affecting the air around much of Maine.
The state Department of Environmental Protection issued air quality warnings earlier this week that are expected to continue for the next few days. They cover much of south coastal Maine as well as the Lewiston-Auburn area.
Martha Webster, an air quality meteorologist with the DEP, said Wednesday that high atmospheric pressure over the region is preventing the dispersion of tiny particles of pollution that come from wood smoke, auto exhaust and other sources.
Factories, power plants, trash incinerators, diesel engines, construction activity, fires and windblown dust are among those other sources, says the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA monitoring showed that Portland’s air was moderately polluted by particles Wednesday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Webster said such pollution tends to peak early in the morning because winds ease overnight and temperatures fall, pushing particles down. Once the sun rises, winds pick up and pollution gets mixed back into the atmosphere.
This is the third year of the DEP’s air quality monitoring program, Webster said.
Webster said that while people with asthma and other respiratory diseases know they need to limit exposure to ozone and particle pollution, it’s important for people with heart disease to do the same.
“Fine particles can enter into the bloodstream,” she said, possibly leading to complications for heart patients.
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• Combine errands, reduce trips
• Conserve energy
• Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products
• Share a ride or use public transportation
• Avoid using gasoline engines when unhealthy conditions are forecast
• Keep engines tuned to manufacturer specifications
• Reduce gas vapors by refueling after dusk
• Improve gas mileage by inflating tires to recommended pressure
• Limit idling
(Source: Federal Environmental Protection Agency)
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