Particulate Matter
Particle matter of various materials can have health and environmental effects. Particles can range in size. Small particles are more harmful to your health.
What does PM 2.5 and PM10 mean?
PM10 means the particle is less than 10 micrometers in diameter. These small particles cause the largest amount of problems because they can embed deep into your lungs and the smallest particles can get into your bloodstream PM 2.5 particles can get deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream.
What is particulate matter made of?
Particulate matter can consist of many different types of materials. Pm can be things such as smoke, byproducts cooking, by-products chemicals, dust, minerals from the mantle of the Earth's crust. Many man-made materials end up becoming particulate matter in the air. Sanding, construction, mining, automobiles and various other human activities create particles that end up floating in the air. These particles when breathed in can get past the human defenses and filtering processes of the body particles smaller than 10 micrometers can get into the lungs and particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers can get into the bloodstream via the lungs. These are considered fine particles and they are the leading cause of reduced visibility and haze in many cities and also in rural and undeveloped areas as well.
Is particulate matter dangerous?
Yes, particulate matter is dangerous to varying degrees. The danger caused by particulate matter is dependent on the type of particulate that you come in contact with. Some particles are minerals from the earth and some are modern chemicals that have been created over decades of scientific endeavor. These chemicals and byproducts have made their way into the air. The type of chemical that is inhaled results in different varying health consequences. The scientific studies have associated particulate matter pollution and the exposure to the matter with the following negative health effects including premature death due to heart and or lung disease. Heart attacks irregular heartbeats asthma attacks and irritated airways and the lining of the longest can become inflamed causing difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing. People who have comorbidities, older adults and children are at the highest risk of particulate pollution exposure. These groups have more sensitivity and or may have higher levels of exposure.
What can I do to limit my risks?
The EPA and airnow.gov have resources to identify and classify the danger level in your area. On a given day, they've created a scale called the AQI. The monitors different types of airborne pollution on days where the PM 2.5 and PM10 are high. It is advised that at-risk groups and individuals stay indoors and or limit their physical activity during the highest levels of pollution. Follow the advice of the EPA regarding what activities to perform or avoid on days of high AQI.