PM 2.5 is too small to be seen and includes ash from fires, organic compounds, and metals. Because PM 2.5 is so small, it can get into your bloodstream when inhaled.
Please Protect Your Health
People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens should take any of these steps to reduce their exposure:
Stay inside in an air-conditioned space.
Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
Keep outdoor activities short.
Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
If you must go outside, wear a mask.
Everyone else should take any of these steps to reduce their exposure:
Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
Postponing exercise until the evening and exercising away from busy roads
Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
Wait until the air quality is better to be active outdoors.
Help reduce particulate matter in our air by
Waiting until dusk to mow your lawn
Fueling up vehicles at dusk (to avoid evaporation)
Not letting your vehicle idle
Following Cuyahoga County’s guidelines on avoiding open fires, including wood fires and wood-burning stoves
Carpooling
Grouping your errands into one car trip
For more information about the City of Cleveland Heights’ Air Quality Awareness activities, including its creation of a new local air quality monitoring network (see Day 5 below), please visit:
