In my previous post I discussed the impacts of high heat on outdoor workers. Another source of stress is poor air quality, which can be either from high particulate levels or from corrosive ground-level ozone. Both of these can put stress on breathing in vulnerable populations. You can get air quality information from the Environmental Protection Agency at https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.main.
In Georgia, for example, air quality is monitored by Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division by the Georgia State Climatologist. Today’s Air Quality Index is Unhealthy for Atlanta, for example, and Very Unhealthy for points northwest of Atlanta.
