News Release 493

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES PROVIDING
ST. LOUIS AREA FORECASTS FOR AIRBORNE FINE PARTICLES

Volume 34-493

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 9, 2006 -- The St. Louis area can now check the air quality forecast for fine particles to help protect themselves against health effects from this type of air pollution, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

The department is coordinating Fine Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) air quality forecasts for the St. Louis area through a grant funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Fine particles are a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air and can include acids, organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust particles and allergens. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke are large or dark enough to see with the naked eye, however, fine particle matter is 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller. Fine particles are nearly 30 times smaller than a single strand of human hair, which averages 70 micrometers in diameter, making it easy to get deep into the lungs and cause significant health problems.

Particle pollution, unlike ozone, can occur year-round. The particles come from a variety of sources including motor vehicles, power plants, wood burning stoves and fireplaces, forest fires and some industrial processes. People can reduce their exposure to particle pollution by checking their daily air quality forecast and adjusting strenuous outdoor activities when elevated particulate levels are forecasted.

The chances of being affected by particles increase the more strenuous your activity and the longer you are active outdoors. If your activity involves prolonged or heavy exertion, reduce your activity time or substitute another that involves less exertion. Go for a walk instead of a jog, for example. Plan outdoor activities for days when particle levels are lower. And don't exercise near busy roads; particle levels generally are higher in these areas.

The new forecasting will add St. Louis to the many large metropolitan areas in the country that forecast PM 2.5 air quality levels. The goal of the forecasting is to improve public knowledge and understanding of PM 2.5 monitoring levels and the associated health effects.

The forecasts use the same format as EPA's Air Quality Index, or AQI, a tool that state and local agencies use to issue public reports of actual levels of particles, ground-level ozone, and other common air pollutants.

Using the AQI's color-coded scale, these forecasts help you quickly learn when air pollution is expected to reach unhealthy levels in your area.

The forecasts are available year-round on the department's Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp. Resident's in the St. Louis area may also check the weather page in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for the current levels and projected PM 2.5 forecasts.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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