Written By: Ally Taynton, Staff Writer
AIR QUALITY: Riverside is experiencing declining air quality.
As temperatures rise and fires begin, after-school activities are canceled left and right. But why? Air quality rising is a bad thing, everyone knows that, but what exactly causes it? Heat waves and pollutants in the air make it hard to breathe, making it dangerous for anyone exerting themselves outside, whether through exercise or simply staying outside for too long. The thing is, being inside might not even keep us safe from the toxic air, so what happens to indoor sports? To better explain our declining air quality, and outline possible solutions to the recent problems, Athletic Trainer Taylor Ross and Athletic Director Jim Vaughan are here to help.
Air quality is a mixture of heat, pollutants, and wind. Unfortunately, California has the potential to be the perfect place for bad air quality since extreme temperatures are common, and fires start easily in the arid landscape. The air pollutants and extreme heat create unhealthy conditions outside, which is why athletic activities may be postponed or even canceled. Generally air quality is safe between 0-50. When it reaches 51-100 it can start to become dangerous for individuals with respiratory issues, such as asthma. On Monday, September 9th Mrs. Taylor said, ”Our number to go inside is 151, and today we’re at 203. So we’re all inside today, and most schools in the district are inside to keep everyone safe.” All practices, games, and athletic activities were postponed that day because of how poor the air quality was. The AirNow map to the left is a map showing some California fires and their severity. The green is where air quality is healthy and the red, orange, and maroon is where the air quality is potentially hazardous. This map is an example of how unhealthy air quality can be because of the climate in California.
Hazardous air quality is mostly harmful for its effects on people’s breathing. Reactions may vary based on sensitivity to bad air, but it remains a problem for everyone. According to Mrs. Taylor, athletes breathing in bad air would have a hard time taking deep breaths, making their chests feel heavy. If there was an asthmatic person outside, they would take short breaths, particularly suffering from the particles in the air. This is why all athletic activities are canceled when air quality is too high risk.
Athletic Director Jim Vaughan has the authority to call off sports events if air quality reaches harmful levels. However, what is the protocol for indoor sports? Mr. Vaughan tells us that for indoor sports “it comes down to whether you can smell smoke.” The school has a lot of filters that “filter out a lot of the air,” and that way the air that could pose a threat to students has less of a chance of getting into buildings. Mr. Vaughan shared that of course, smoke can still get into buildings “so we have to monitor and make sure that things are good in and out of school facilities.” Athletes inside may still be affected and have to cancel their activities even with the filters installed.
With bad air quality, students need to stop all athletic activities, but of course, there are always some students who think that they won’t be affected and continue to be active outside. If students do continue outside activities, Mr. Vaughan wants students to know that “the biggest thing is to know yourself, know whether something is affecting you or not, and pay attention to yourself.” Everybody is different and is affected differently by air quality, but it is important to know what you can or can’t handle. The second that someone starts to feel bad and they can’t breathe, they should make the right choice and go inside. If the heat and pollutants in the air increase, make sure to check the air quality so that you know if it is safe to continue outside activities. One way to check the air quality is through an app called AirNow Mobile. The map above was provided by the app. AirNow lets people know the most updated information regarding the air quality where they live. This can help prepare students so that they will know why taking a deep breath is difficult or why they feel like their chest is heavy. If the air quality is too high, take the necessary precautions to keep yourself safe. Hydrate, stay inside, avoid over-exerting yourself, and pay attention to how you feel throughout the day.
As fall nears, temperatures are dropping and there is less chance of poor air quality, but anything can happen with the extreme conditions in California, anything can happen. Stay informed and stay safe, especially with the frequency of fires as of recent.