Florida's drought conditions continue, causing potential problems for those with respiratory issues and other vulnerable populations.
During a drought, particles in the air can irritate the bronchial passages and lungs, making chronic respiratory illnesses like asthma worse and risk of respiratory infections like bronchitis and bacterial pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"When you have drought, it's dry outside. The air quality – there's more propensity for dust events or poor outdoor air quality, and this can impact someone who has cardiovascular illnesses," said Karen Coker, a public health expert with the University of Florida.
In particular, those at risk include people younger than 5, older than 65 and who are pregnant. Drought can also affect those with chronic breathing conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Coker said.
Forecast models show the rest of this week to be dry and hot, but a short reprieve is coming this weekend, according to the National Weather Service, with chances of rain between 30% and 40%. However, May is looking to be a rinse and repeat of the dry conditions observed in March and April.
January to March was recorded as the 42nd driest period of that time frame on record since 1895, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. The system also says that parts of Florida are experiencing a drought range between moderately dry and extreme drought, with over 14 million people living in areas of drought.
And with the drought comes a flood of things in the air. Without rain, particles of sand, dirt, pollen and small metals are free to float for extended periods, Coker said.
"It's irritating your body in a way where either it's hard for you to breathe or your eyes are extremely irritated. It's hard for some people to even see. So obviously, they're really poor things in these particles, in this pollen, in this dust, that are not good for your body," she said.
Coker said even though droughts are a physical event, they can also affect a person's mental health, too.
"When you know the air quality is bad, it's hard for you to breathe, it's hard for you to be outside, because it's not great for your health. That could also impact your mental health outcomes. It can be stressed, right? That can create anxiety for you," she said.
The particles responsible are extremely small and, in most cases, either nearly impossible to see or invisible to the naked eye, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. These kinds of inhalable particles are referred to as "particulate matter," or "PM," and are listed on the EPA website in three different sizes depending on the material.
One of the largest is PM 90, which refers to the sizes of grains of sand caught up in the wind. PM 10 is the same size as the width of a strand of human hair and is usually associated with dust, pollen or mold. The smallest size listed by the EPA is PM 2.5, which is 30 times smaller than the width of human hair. PM 2.5 is associated with organic compounds and metals. They pose a great risk to health, according to the EPA, and can come from sources such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.
According to Airnow.gov, Central Florida's PM 2.5 level is low, and the air quality is forecast to be "good" for residents. However, the area's pollen count is listed at "medium amounts" for the next four days, with the count falling by Sunday, according to Spectrum News 13's five-day forecast.
Weekend rain should contribute to pollen counts falling in the near future, however, the Climate Prediction Center released its outlook for May, and Florida is likely to experience below-normal precipitation.
As for now, Coker recommends that vulnerable groups wear a mask outside and wash their hands.
"There may be particles on your hand that you aren't aware of," Coker said. "There are also particles that stay on you or your car. So wash your hands, wash your car and clean your clothes."
As for an air purifier, Coker said that it must be have a HEPA filter to weed out unwanted floating particles. A HEPA filter is efficient at removing tiny particles of pollen and dust from the air.
"It removes around 99% of particulates, and it helps reduce PM 2.5 from indoors," she said.
She also mentioned that HEPA filters can be expensive, and if the price point is an issue, sticking to a mask can help a lot.
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