Air Quality Advisory for Muscatine County

Fine particle pollution levels in excess of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health threshold were measured this morning in Muscatine County. The Department of Natural Resources recommends that Iowans living in Muscatine County with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children limit prolonged outdoor exertion until air quality conditions improve.

The EPA’s 24-hour health threshold for fine particles is 35 micrograms (35 millionths of a gram) per cubic meter. At mid-day today, fine particle levels averaged 64 at Garfield School in Muscatine. Conditions are expected to improve tomorrow morning as a winter storm passes through the area.

Fine particle levels are also elevated in other parts of eastern Iowa today, but are not expected to exceed EPA health standards as winds pick up with the coming storm.

Yesterday air quality monitors recorded 24-hour fine particle levels above EPA health standards at two locations in Davenport: 36 at Jefferson School and 37 at Black Hawk Foundry.

On Dec. 18, 24-hour fine particle levels above EPA health standards were recorded at several monitoring locations: 36 in Des Moines, 50 in Emmetsburg, 37 in Waterloo, 39 in Iowa City, and 45 at Viking Lake State Park. Conditions improved slightly on Saturday, and air quality was good on Sunday. Light winds were present in the eastern part of the state Monday through mid-day today, causing fine particle levels to rise.

Fine particles are emitted by vehicle traffic and other combustion sources and are also formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Stagnant air masses do not allow the fine particles to disperse, and pollutant levels rise.

EPA’s national air quality map is available online at www.airnow.gov.

Questions can be directed to Sean Fitzsimmons at (515) 494-6412.