If

your

home

is

located

in

a

part

of

the

Nipomo

Mesa

where

outside

particulate

matter

(PM)

reaches

the

AQI

level

of

Unhealthy

or

higher,

or

members

of

your

household

are

sensitive

to

the

dust,

or

have

existing

health

problems

that

would

be

worsened

by

PM

exposure,

consider

taking

the

following

steps

to

protect the interior of your home.

1. Fix Air Leaks. Seal drafty doors, windows, fireplaces and other potential access points for pollutants and allergens. Portable air quality monitors that provide real-time readings can help locate hard-to-find air leaks. 2. Filter Indoor Air. Use high-efficiency air duct filters to capture PM 2.5 particles and irritants. Fine particle buildup isn’t visible to the naked eye, so regularly replace used filters. That will often be sufficient in homes with air circulating systems, but If needed, use true HEPA air quality purifiers (High-Efficiency Particulate Air Filters) in bedrooms and main living areas to continuously circulate and clean indoor air. 3. Monitor Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality. There are many indoor air quality monitors on the market, and outdoor air quality information can be found on several websites. Most home monitors have smartphone apps that allow us to see both indoor and outdoor information in one place. Some monitors also have built-in display screens. Very fine particles (PM 2.5) are usually the main pollutants of concern in most homes. However, airtight homes can build up carbon dioxide levels overnight, so monitors should also track CO2 gas. Knowing current air quality information can help us make better informed lifestyle choices. However, it’s easy to get confused with different air quality readings provided by a variety of monitors on Nipomo Mesa. What is most useful to Mesa residents is real-time information on what’s happening with air quality at any given moment. Fortunately, one of our fellow Mesa residents has made an in- depth study of public air quality monitoring services and various home particulate matter monitors. His findings are summarized in the following report: Interpreting Nipomo Mesa Air Quality Data (click below go to each part) • Part 1 explains how to use the available monitors to get information we want. • Part 2 discusses air quality forecasting on the Mesa, and how to identify projected wind conditions that can create particulate dust events. • Part 3 covers how we can apply this information to protect our indoor door air quality at home. ========================================================================================================================= Selected Air Quality Website Links: Outdoor Air Quality Information SLO County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) - County Wide Air Quality Maps and Forecasts: https://www.slocleanair.org/air-quality/air-forecasting-map.php U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Official Air Quality Data Displayed After the End of Each Hour for the Past Hour: https://airnow.gov/ AirVisual Earth Interactive Air Quality Maps for Unified World-Wide Air Quality Information: https://www.airvisual.com/air-quality-map HEPA Filter Information and Reviews:

(Many

websites

provide

free

HEPA

filter

reviews

on-line.

Consumer

Reports

uses

the

most

comprehensive testing protocols,

but

the

current

test

report

may

not

include

newer

high-efficiency

models.

You

must

register

and

pay for access to

full reports ($7.95).

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/air-purifiers.htm