World wide, air quality is a serious health issue, to the extent that the United Nations declared the International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies in 2019. This year's record setting forest fire season has driven that message home to people living in Prince George and many regions of BC.
Dr. Peter Jackson, a Meteorologist stationed at University of Northern BC in the Department of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences speaks to CFUR about Air Quality, the methods used to monitor it, and how to understand data provided by a number of websites.
Most of the focus of concern is a substance referred to as PM2.5. This is "particulate matter 2.5 microns in diameter or less." PM2.5 poses a particular risk to human health and is of a much greater quantity when wildfire smoke enters the air shed.
IQair, Purple Air, and the UNBC maintained AQmap.ca are a few sites that monitor this pollution, are available to the public, and discussed. Furthermore, Jackson broke down the differentiation of Canada's Air Quality Index (AQI) versus the more popular US AQI.
Dr. Peter Jackson, Meteorologist at UNBC's Department of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences
Listen to the radio program below:
