![]() ![]() ![]() Environmental Protection Agency said “ DIY air cleaners” can serve as “a temporary alternative to commercial air cleaners.” The agency cautioned that DIY air cleaners should not be used routinely, and that concerns have been raised about the potential fire or burn risk involved if box fans overheat. If window air conditioning units, HVAC systems or portable air cleaners are not available, the U.S. California’s Environmental Protection Agency recommends using an indoor air cleaner anytime the air quality index hits “unhealthy” levels, or if people see or smell smoke in the air.īut people can also make their own indoor air cleaners by attaching an air filter to a box fan with tape, brackets or a bungee cord. HEPA filters are also available for homes outfitted with central heating and cooling systems. People can purchase portable air cleaners with replaceable HEPA filters that strain out small particulate matter, or PM2.5. Indoor air filtration, including HVAC systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and portable air purifiers can also help scrub pollutants that may have traveled inside homes and other buildings. ![]() Many smartphones have apps that also track air quality. , the EPA's website, allows people to track air quality by entering their ZIP codes. How can I protect myself when the air quality is bad?Įxperts advise checking air quality alerts regularly. “They can travel farther than they would ordinarily because they go higher into the atmosphere.”Īn N95 mask can help block those particles for people especially prone to environmental allergens, Peebles said. What’s more, heat can cause pollen to rise and be airborne for longer periods of time, spreading those particles even hundreds of miles away, Peebles said. If a person is sensitive to an environmental allergen, such as trees or grass, breathing in the smoke that results from burning that allergen may cause a reaction. Symptoms may also worsen depending on what’s burning. Stokes Peebles, an allergy and pulmonary specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. “If you have allergies on top of that, you’ve got two different things causing symptoms at the same time,” said Dr. ![]()
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