How to deal with poor air quality

Jun 03, 2023

A street scene shot from EM Herr's in Willow Street, looking south toward Pequea Township, where Lancaster County skies appear to be hazy because of the wild fires happening in Canada on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

Government agencies and public health and patient-support groups offer the following guidance for dealing with dangerous air quality conditions:

For people living with chronic health conditions:

Make your own air filtering system:

If your home lacks central air, a DIY air filter can be made with a box fan. A quick online search for "DIY air filter" brings up multiple videos and links to step-by-step instructions.

One guide is put together by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency in Washington state, where wildfire smoke is a common summer problem.

The supplies you will need to follow their plan are: a 20-inch square box fan, a 20-inch square MERV or FPR 10 filter, power drill, 3/4-inch screws, 2-inch corner brackets. Follow video instructions here: lanc.news/airfilter.

Another guide, produced by the University of Washington, calls for using duct tape instead of screws. Follow video instructions here: lanc.news/DIYfilter.

Reminders: Make sure the filter is placed against the back of the fan. And make sure the arrows on the filter point toward the front of the fan or follow the same air flow of the fan.

Online resouces: aafa.org, lung.org, airnow.gov.

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