Poor air quality prompts Moscow, Pullman area schools to close

As the views of the Palouse disappeared behind a haze of smoke, the University of Idaho, Washington State University, Moscow School District and other regional schools announced closures due to hazardous air quality.

According to the National Weather Service, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) and the Nez Perce Tribe issued an air quality alert through Friday, stating air quality could range from moderate to hazardous throughout the region. 

At 11 a.m. Monday morning, the air quality index (AQI) was “very unhealthy” with an index value of 214, according to IDEQ. The highest index value so far was on Saturday evening, when it reached far above hazardous levels with a value of over 550. 

According to AirNow.gov, an index value of 100 or more can start affecting at-risk groups. An index over 150 is considered unhealthy for all people and readings over 300 are considered hazardous. 

“The Moscow campus of the University of Idaho will be closed to business and all classes and events canceled on Monday, Sept. 14,” an email sent on Sunday stated. “Students, faculty and staff here are encouraged to stay home and avoid outdoor activities. The safety and wellbeing of our community members are core values in the Vandal community.” 

Alistair Smith, a professor for the College of Natural Resources at UI, said once the AQI reaches hazardous, the situation is considered an emergency and everyone, regardless of age or fitness level, should stay inside with some sort of smoke filter in effect.  

Smith said the best thing to do would be to stay inside and turn on an air conditioner with a high efficiency particulate air filter. If that option is not available, Smith said a few other options would be to go to larger department stores, turn on an air purifier, get a box fan and add a filter to it or even use something like a humidifier, diffuser or spray bottle to put water particles in the air.  

“(Putting water vapor in the air) gives the smoke particles the ability to attach to the water vapor and it falls to the ground,” Smith said. “It’s just a quick, easy thing you can do inside your house to reduce the smoke levels.” 

If going outside is necessary, keeping the trip short will help reduce the adverse effects of being in unhealthy or hazardous air conditions, Smith said. He said pets can also suffer from the effects of smoke, so it is best to keep them inside whenever possible as well. 

Short term effects of smoke exposure may include coughing, irritation in the throat, burning eyes, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, irritated sinuses, headaches and more, according to IDEQ. People with asthma, emphysema and heart or lung disease are considered high risk individuals.

“A concerning thing that people get really worried about when pandemics and epidemics are taking place is it can actually increase your susceptibility to respiratory infection, which is obviously not a good thing right now,” Smith said.  

Masks worn to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 are not likely to help much with filtering smoke particles, according to Leda Kobziar, a UI associate professor of wildland fire science. Kobziar said while masks might help filter out large respiratory droplets and bigger smoke particulates, cloth masks don’t typically protect against smaller particles. 

“If you are wearing a mask and you’re still smelling smoke, that means that small particles are reaching your nasal passages, and you are not entirely protected from smoke,” Kobziar said. 

Kobziar said while any mask is better than no mask, face coverings rated to filter out smaller particles will be the most effective and staying inside where the air is filtered is best. 

“This is the difference between the smoke and what’s happening with the pandemic,” Smith said. “Our knowledge of the pandemic is evolving by the minute, but we have known about the effects of smoke on humans and animals for decades.” 

Poor air quality in the area is expected to last until Friday. For hourly AQI updates in Idaho, visit the IDEQ website.

This article has been updated to clarify how spraying water vapor helps clear smoke from the air.

Anteia McCollum can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @antxiam5.