ST. LOUIS – Canadian wildfires creating air quality concerns in parts of the United States are also raising questions about air quality levels locally. The St. Louis region has seen a string of days with air quality alerts.
“Air pollution can have a lot of effects on your health,” said Susannah Fuchs, director of clean air at the American Lung Association in Missouri.
She said current air pollution concerns in the St. Louis area are different from what places such as New York are experiencing. Fuchs said ozone pollution created from various emissions, heat, and sunlight has contributed to air quality concerns in the St. Louis area.
Air quality problems can lead to various short- and long-term health issues, including shortness of breath and nausea.
“It can exacerbate lung disease,” Fuchs said. “For example, if you have asthma, it can make it worse.”
She hopes area residents will be mindful of alerts and take precautions.
For more information, visit www.lung.org or www.airnow.gov.
