Classification index
Unhealthy (AQI 151–200)
Summary: Everyone may begin to experience health effects, with higher risk for sensitive groups.
Health implications
Respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms become more likely, especially with sustained outdoor exertion.
Recommended actions
- Reduce outdoor exposure and intensity.
- Prioritize filtered indoor environments.
- Use masks for essential outdoor tasks during smoke episodes.
For schools and workplaces
Move strenuous programs indoors and increase safety messaging frequency.
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Everyone Feels It Now
AQI 151–200 means respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms become more likely for everyone, with higher risk for sensitive groups.
Reduce outdoor exposure and intensity. Prioritize filtered indoor environments — a MERV-13 filter or a portable HEPA unit can drop indoor PM2.5 by 50–80%. Use N95 masks for essential outdoor tasks. Schools should move strenuous programs indoors; workplaces should increase safety messaging frequency.