Air quality in Susanville

What is the current level of air pollution in Susanville?

Susanville (formerly known as Rooptown) is a town in and the county seat of Lassen County, California. It is located in the southern part of the county on the banks of the Susan River. According to a census which was conducted in 2010, Susanville had an estimated population of approximately 18,000 people.

Looking at the figures released by IQAir.com regarding the state of the air in Susanville in July 2021, it reveals a US AQI reading of 110 which is classed as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups”. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most commonly found air pollutants, namely, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, being PM2.5 and PM10. It is used as a standard when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. In the case of Susanville, only PM2.5 had been recorded which was 39.2 µg/m³. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a recommended level of 10 µg/m³, so with this figure, it can be seen to be over three times the recommended level, although no level is considered to be safe.

With pollution levels elevated to such high levels, the advice would be to stay indoors with the doors and windows closed as tightly as possible to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. The use of an air purifier would be an added safety measure especially if it is using recirculated air and not bringing more in from outside. An N95 mask should be worn when venturing outside although even this is not recommended but sometimes it is impossible not to go out for special reasons. All forms of outdoor exercise and activity should be avoided until the air quality radically improves. The table which is published at the top of this page should help with that decision and downloading the AirVisual app on your mobile device will allow you to check the air quality in real-time.

From the information regarding the weather conditions on the IQAir page, it can be deduced that this extremely poor quality air is linked to the low wind speed and it is forecast to become worse over the course of the next few days, becoming “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” tomorrow and the day after before worsening to the “Unhealthy” level in three days.

Does the air quality remain constant throughout the year in Susanville?

Looking back at the figures for 2020, released by IQAir.com, it can be seen that the two worst months of the year regarding air quality were September and October when the air quality was classified as being “Unhealthy” with readings of 110.4 and 61.9 µg/m³, respectively. The parameters for this category are figures between 55.5 and 150.4 µg/m³. The previous month of August was categorized as being “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” with a figure of 38.7 µg/m³. Going back another month to July, the category was one stage lower with a “Moderate” quality air and a reading of 12.4 µg/m³. Other than that, the air quality in December was “Good” with a reading of 11.9 µg/m³. For the remaining seven months of the year, Susanville achieved the target figure of 10 µg/m³ or less as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The month of May returned the best figure with a reading of just 2.8 µg/m³. June was almost as good with 3.2 µg/m³ and April with 3.7 µg/m³.

Historically, records pertaining to air pollution were kept since 2019 when the annual figure was noted to be 6.4 µg/m³. 2020 saw a marked deterioration with its figure of 26.2 µg/m³. ³. This figure is quite surprising because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 situation. A lot of cities throughout the world reported much better air quality because of these. Many vehicles were temporarily unused as their drivers were not required to work from the office, instead they were furloughed and allowed to work from home. This had the effect of drastically reducing pollution within the city center. Many small factories and non-essential production units were also closed which again lead to an improvement in air quality.

Where does the air pollution come from in Susanville?

More than 95 percent of the western US is suffering from drought and higher than average temperatures. The risk of wildfires is high and is expected to remain so until at least September, maybe even longer in some areas. Dry thunderstorms throughout July were deemed to be responsible for many outbreaks. Lightning activity continued across much of the West and Alaska during July. An abundant dry thunderstorm outbreak that occurred in early July across the interior Northwest and Northern Rockies ignited numerous large fires throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

An uncontrolled forest fire can devastate everything in its path, spreading for miles, crossing rivers and roads. Each year, between 60,000 and 80,000 forest fires occur, destroying between 3 and 10 million hectares. While forest fires have different consequences on the environment, depending on their importance and frequency, the causes are also diverse.

When the frequency of forest fires in a given region is high, the consequences can be devastating. If some specialists consider fire as a boon for the ecosystem (elimination of parasites and diseased plants, increase in the diversity of plants and animals, etc.), let's not forget that the natural cycles of forests are disrupted and that certain species natives disappear, while invasive plants proliferate. Forest fires increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and climate change. In addition, the ash destroys much of the nutrients and erodes the soil, causing flooding and landslides.

The use of chemicals in firefighting adds another problem to the already dramatic consequences of forest fires. According to a recent study, the chemicals in “flame retardants” used to extinguish fires (such as Fire-Trol) accumulate in the soil for years. The conclusions of the study notably highlight the presence of ammonium polyphosphate, known to modify soil fertility, biodiversity and affect the composition of vegetation.

What are the consequences to health from wildfire smoke in Susanville?

Forest fires are a common concern in California, especially during hot, dry summers. People across the county can be affected by smoke from forest fires. The authorities urge people with lung conditions such as asthma and COPD to monitor their breathing and avoid smoking. If breathing problems appear, consult your doctor or healthcare professional.

In people who do not have lung problems, smoke from wood fires can:

• irritate the eyes, lungs, throat, and sinuses
• increase the risk of heart attack
• trigger headaches and allergies
• reduce lung function, especially in children.

For people with pre-existing respiratory problems smoke from wood-fires can also trigger asthma attacks, and make COPD and bouts of pneumonia worse.

When the figures for pollution get really high the general recommendations are to stay inside if possible. Take extra care with children, who are more vulnerable to smoke since their respiratory systems are still developing and they breathe in more air (therefore more smoke) than adults. Older adults are at greater risk too because of their general weaker condition. They are vulnerable to heart or lung disease, which can make them more susceptible to smoke. Additional precautions are recommended during the forest fire season. When driving, keep windows and air vents closed. Use the air conditioner only in “air recirculation” mode and watch for air quality reports on local news or on the internet.

In much of the western United States, skies have turned orange and air quality has worsened, while tens of thousands of people have had to flee their homes for fear of flames.

According to the California Fire Department, nine of the 15 most destructive fires in the state's history have occurred in the past five years and six of the 20 largest fires since recorded have occurred in 2020.

Why is wildfire smoke so harmful to human health?

Smoke is made up of a mixture of gases and fine particles that are emitted when something is burned. In addition to affecting the eyes, these gases and fine particles can be inhaled deep into the lungs. This makes breathing difficult and could aggravate other chronic disease conditions, such as asthma and heart disease. Fortunately, most people who are exposed to smoke will not have long-term health problems. The amount and duration of smoke exposure, as well as age and health, help determine whether or not you will have smoke-related health problems. If you have serious health problems for any reason, seek medical treatment immediately.

Wildfire smoke contains carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas. Firefighters who work near this type of fire are at greater risk of being exposed to high doses of carbon monoxide. In areas even a few hundred yards downwind of the fire, where there is a high concentration of fine particles in the smoke, they typically do not have a high concentration of carbon monoxide. Symptoms of high levels of carbon monoxide in the blood include headaches, dizziness, nausea, and decreased mental function.

When fires ravage a forest and bulldozers dig into the ground to stop the flames from advancing, more than just clouds of dust and soot may be churning in the air. Those dark, billowing plumes of smoke, rising in waves of heat during the day and sinking into valleys at night, when the air cools, could carry countless live microbes that would creep into our lungs or adhere to our lungs, skin and clothing, according to research. In some cases, researchers fear that airborne pathogens will make firefighters or residents of those areas sick.

Wildfire smoke now accounts for half of all fine particle pollution in the western United States, according to researchers. Although there are many studies on the long-term human health impacts of urban air pollution, and the short-term impacts of wildfire smoke, little is known about how the latter can harm people, during their lives.

What are the detrimental effects of air pollution in Susanville on our health?

Today there is no doubt that air pollution represents a global public health emergency. It is a threat to everyone, from babies who are about to be born, to children who walk to school daily or women who are pregnant.

On the street and indoors, the sources of air pollution can be very different, yet its effects are just as deadly. Respiratory diseases such as asthma and heart disease are among the detrimental health effects caused by poor air quality.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes around 7 million premature deaths each year, the equivalent of 800 deaths every hour or 13 per minute. In general, this problem is responsible for more deaths than other risk factors, such as malnutrition, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity.

Globally, 93 percent of all children breathe air that does not meet WHO quality standards. As a result, 600,000 children die prematurely each year. As if this weren't enough, exposure to toxic air also impairs brain development, leading to cognitive and motor disabilities, putting young people at increased risk for chronic disease later in life.

There are other less direct costs, which nevertheless affect us globally. Ground-level ozone is expected to reduce staple crop yields by 26 percent by 2030, creating food security and nutrition problems. Air pollution also degrades building materials and coatings, decreases their useful life, and generates cleaning, repair, and replacement costs.

Emissions of polluting gases produced by industry, transportation, forest fires, radiation and aerosols (such as those from some deodorants and sprays) are the main causes of air pollution. Suspended particles (PM) are the main source of pollution: they are a mixture of components including sulfates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, coal, mineral dust and water. These particles are divided into PM10 (particles with a diameter less than 10 microns) and PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 microns), which are more dangerous because they enter the body more easily and travel deeply into the lungs. Sulfur dioxide gas and ozone are other harmful components for the air created by humans.