Navigating Air Quality Risks: A Guide for Orienteering Participants & Organizers
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Participants Must Know:
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Why Air Quality Matters in Outdoor Sports
Poor air quality, caused by contaminants such as smoke from forest fires and emissions from other sources, can adversely affect a person's health. This is particularly important for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts because:
Poor air quality, caused by contaminants such as smoke from forest fires and emissions from other sources, can adversely affect a person's health. This is particularly important for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts because:
- Increased respiratory rate during exercise leads to greater exposure to air pollutants. Air quality can change rapidly, potentially exposing athletes to varying levels of pollutants during an event.
- Orienteering participants are considered part of the at-risk population because of the outdoor high intensity exercises.
- Special concern for orienteering activities related to Wildfires as it can coincide with main orienteering summer events .
How to Monitor Air Quality?
What to consider: Pros and cons using AQHI vs AQI PM2.5 Index:
The AQHI provides a comprehensive health-focused air quality assessment but is limited by infrequent updates and availability primarily in urban centers only. Its complexity and slower reporting make it less practical for remote locations compared to more immediate AQI PM2.5 measurements, which offers less complex but more frequent and localized air quality data. For Orienteering events we will use AQI PM.25 monitoring sites and locally measured data to make sure it is accurate and timely.
1. Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
The AQHI is a scale used to measure air quality and its associated health risks. It's important for athletes and event organizers to understand and monitor the AQHI.
AQHI values range from 1 to 10+ (very high risk). Calculated from measured concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter less than PM2.5 µ.
How to monitor AQHI
2. Air Quality Index Particulate Matter 2.5 µ (AQI PM2.5)
PM2.5 is a precise air quality measurement that tracks fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or smaller, providing real-time, localized air quality data.PM2.5 pollution primarily originates from human activities like combustion (vehicle and industrial emissions), wildfires, residential wood burning, and construction dust, as well as some natural sources like volcanic eruptions and windblown particles.
What to consider: Pros and cons using AQHI vs AQI PM2.5 Index:
The AQHI provides a comprehensive health-focused air quality assessment but is limited by infrequent updates and availability primarily in urban centers only. Its complexity and slower reporting make it less practical for remote locations compared to more immediate AQI PM2.5 measurements, which offers less complex but more frequent and localized air quality data. For Orienteering events we will use AQI PM.25 monitoring sites and locally measured data to make sure it is accurate and timely.
1. Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
The AQHI is a scale used to measure air quality and its associated health risks. It's important for athletes and event organizers to understand and monitor the AQHI.
AQHI values range from 1 to 10+ (very high risk). Calculated from measured concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter less than PM2.5 µ.
How to monitor AQHI
- Urban AQHI in Canada
- Download the WeatherCAN app to you phone (provides the AQHI for urban areas)
2. Air Quality Index Particulate Matter 2.5 µ (AQI PM2.5)
PM2.5 is a precise air quality measurement that tracks fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or smaller, providing real-time, localized air quality data.PM2.5 pollution primarily originates from human activities like combustion (vehicle and industrial emissions), wildfires, residential wood burning, and construction dust, as well as some natural sources like volcanic eruptions and windblown particles.
How to monitor AQI PM2.5
3. Monitoring Wildfire Smoke
FIRESMOKE.CA is a wildfire and air quality forecast website that provides real-time information about wildfire smoke dispersion, air quality indices, and potential health risks across Canada. It can also be downloaded for your phone.
4. What if no data are available?
If there are no other sources of air quality data, visibility could be used, but research has shown it to be somewhat problematic. This scale could be used as a warning scale if conditions are deteriorating or improving . See below table Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: Visibility Range as a Tool for Estimating Air Quality.
- Use your own sensor measuring tool: e.g.Purple Air Portable Air Quality Monitor
- There are many different sites that provide real time data on available sensors in the area , see couple examples below. These are localized air quality data by displaying PM2.5 concentrations from a network of low-cost sensors, allowing for rapid monitoring of air quality conditions.
- Purple Air Real Time Map
- AQI Map Alberta
- AQAIR measurements
3. Monitoring Wildfire Smoke
FIRESMOKE.CA is a wildfire and air quality forecast website that provides real-time information about wildfire smoke dispersion, air quality indices, and potential health risks across Canada. It can also be downloaded for your phone.
4. What if no data are available?
If there are no other sources of air quality data, visibility could be used, but research has shown it to be somewhat problematic. This scale could be used as a warning scale if conditions are deteriorating or improving . See below table Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: Visibility Range as a Tool for Estimating Air Quality.
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Educational materials and resources:
Health Canada:Outdoor air pollution and health
Environment Canada: AQHI
Government of Alberta: Air quality
SIRC: Keeping outdoor sport participants safe
Health Canada:Outdoor air pollution and health
Environment Canada: AQHI
Government of Alberta: Air quality
SIRC: Keeping outdoor sport participants safe
