Air pollution can reduce your hard work to…well, next to nothing
Air pollution can reduce your hard work to…well, next to nothing
We all play the work-reward game, whether your preferred reward is money, vacation time, new experiences, happiness, or in this case, health. If you are an adult who completes at least two and a half hours of moderate or vigorous exercise each week, then according to a recent study, you should see a 30% lower risk of death compared with people who did not reach this level of activity. That’s a very significant reward! BUT…if you do this hard work of moderate or vigorous exercise in an environment where the air has a lot of PM2.5, it might count a lot less, or even negatively (against us) as the risk of cancer goes up. (Polluted air quietly erases the benefits of exercise) Whoa! This should be brought to the attention of every athlete, every team training in areas where the air quality is unhealthy because of particulates. For highly active people living in areas where PM2.5 pollution exceeded 25 μg/m3, this protective effect dropped from 30% to just 12-15%.
The reason the presence of PM2.5 is significant is that these tiny particles go deep into the lungs, and even cross the blood barrier where oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange takes place. From the lungs, they travel to the heart, gut (intestines) and even the brain. Here are the health effects of PM10 (not just PM2.5), according to the EPA:
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premature death in people with heart or lung disease
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nonfatal heart attacks
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irregular heartbeat
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aggravated asthma
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decreased lung function
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increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty breathing.
Well–these effects are not the expectations of most people who exercise!
We did some digging to understand how these PM2.5 levels translate to the air quality scores that are represented on AirNow.gov. According to Table 4 of this Technical Assistance Document for the Reporting of Daily Air Quality, 25 μg/m3 lies in the middle of the “Moderate” range (yellow) and 35 μg/m3 lies at the intersection of the Moderate and “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” (orange) range. Below is a chart we compiled including the range of PM2.5 for each level. Note that the beginning of the danger zone we mentioned, 25 μg/m3, is in the middle of the yellow zone. You can check out other pollution parameters in the Technical Assistance Document, page 8.
Sources: AirNow.gov, Technical Assistance Document for the Reporting of Daily Air Quality
Here’s the thing: Nearly half (46%) of the global population lives in regions where pollution is at or above 25 μg/m3, and about 36% of the global population lives in places where yearly PM2.5 averages exceed 35 μg/m3.
We also learned something about the reporting of air quality scores by different municipalities in the US: It takes a full 24 hours to obtain an AQI value (that’s 24 hourly values for PM or the max 1-hour or 8-hour value in a 24-hour period for other pollutants), so the values are in effect yesterday’s AQI (!). Many smaller cities do not “forecast” today’s AQI, so unless you bring your own sensor outdoors (or indoors if you exercise indoors), you won’t get a current status of the air quality. Also, you won’t know the level of PM2.5 just with a “color” version chart or graphic.
Therefore, if you’re serious about your health and exercise frequently outside, you should have an air quality monitor close to where you exercise, or even on you. The Atmotube PRO 2, $236, measures CO2, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, (including dust, soot, and smoke particles), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and NOx. Each of these particulates or chemicals affects our bodies in different negative ways and negates some of the benefits of working out. It also monitors atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity, because we all know how much these can affect workouts too. The Atmotube app (for android or iphone) shows real-time air quality and a personalized Air Balance score, helping you make smarter choices for better sleep, faster recovery, and sharper focus. It also gives instant alerts the moment air quality drops below safe levels.
Here are some other products you might consider:
- PurpleAir has been a trusted source for air quality sensors and if you exercise close to home, their PurpleAir Classic Plus monitor, $239, is suitable for mounting outside your home to get local, real-time readings and adding your sensor to their real-time map.
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This Ambient Weather PM2.5 Wireless Outdoor Particulate Monitor, $123, seems to be a white-label product of EcoWitt, which are known for accurate sensors. It runs on solar power and (2) AA backup batteries and tells you the real-time temperature, humidity and PM2.5 conditions. It can also connect to Google Home or Alexa.
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Temtop is a good brand for sensors and this handheld version, $85, can be kept indoors near your exercise equipment for a quick check outdoors before you exercise to make sure the air is good.
Sometimes events like wildfires in other states or smog in our area causes the air quality to be in the “iffy” zone, and you’ll need to revise your workout plans for a safer alternative, or add a mask. We’ve reviewed how to do this in another article. After all, you don’t want all your hard work to be canceled out by breathing dirty air, or worse yet, become ill (the total opposite of the goal of exercise!).
