Extreme heat and air quality: what changes and how to protect yourself

Extreme temperatures are becoming more frequent, more intense and longer lasting. Alongside the better known effects of heat, such as fatigue and dehydration risk, there is one that is often overlooked: worsening air quality. According to the Canadian association ASEQ-EHAQ, periods of intense heat lead to greater exposure to air pollutants and can worsen symptoms in people with MCS. Understanding this connection helps plan your days better and protect indoor air quality.

Why extreme heat worsens air quality

Intense heat changes how air pollutants behave. Ground-level ozone, one of the main components of smog, forms from a reaction between sunlight, nitrogen oxides (produced mainly by vehicle traffic and combustion) and volatile organic compounds (released by paints, solvents, cleaning products and exhaust fumes): the more heat and sunlight increase, the more this reaction intensifies. Unlike the protective ozone layer high in the atmosphere, ground-level ozone is harmful to health: it can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs in the short term, and has been linked to worsening asthma and lung function over the long term.

Even in areas where the air is usually relatively clean, these factors can worsen air quality quickly, sometimes within a few hours.

The effect on people with MCS

Poor indoor air quality can worsen symptoms and make daily exposure management more difficult for people living with MCS. During periods of extreme heat, the most common triggers include:

Exposure can cause headaches, respiratory irritation, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, skin irritation or the worsening of pre-existing symptoms. Each person with MCS reacts differently, and triggers vary from individual to individual.

Monitoring air quality

Keeping an eye on the weather forecast is only a first step. Just as useful is following the air quality indices provided by environmental agencies and weather services, which indicate the health risk level associated with current conditions. In Italy this data is published by the regional ARPA agencies and by various weather services, and can help decide whether it's safer to stay indoors with windows closed on a given day. It's worth paying attention to:

• Air quality advisories
• Extreme heat alerts
• Wildfire smoke advisories
• Local public health notices

Reducing exposure during intense heat

It's not always possible to avoid poor air quality, but a few precautions can help reduce exposure:

Everyone has different needs and can react differently to chemical exposure: a strategy that works well for one person may not work for another.

The role of indoor air filtration

When outdoor air worsens, indoor air quality becomes even more important. As authorized Austin Air importers for Italy, we work with air purifiers designed to address both particulate matter and odors and volatile organic compounds, not just one of the two.

HEPA: HEPA filtration with Hollingsworth & Vose filter media (HC-4011 grade), effective on fine particulate matter.

Activated carbon and zeolite: up to 6.8 kg in the standard models, to address odors and VOCs too, the very substances that evaporate more easily in the heat.

Within the Austin Air range you'll find both models with non-impregnated carbon and zeolite (HealthMate, Bedroom Machine, HealthMate Junior) and models with carbon impregnated with potassium iodide, offering higher chemical capacity against VOCs and strong odors (HealthMate Plus, HealthMate Plus Junior, Immunity Machine), also used regularly by a growing number of people with MCS. To help you choose between models, we remain available through our direct contacts (we do not offer samples of filter media).

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Useful links

• Austin Air purifier buying guide
• Replacement filter guide
• Austin Air model comparison
• Air changes calculator
• Wildfire smoke guide
• Austin Air air purifiers
• Replacement filters
• Contact

Information on ozone, PM2.5 and air quality in this article is drawn from publicly available environmental health sources (ASEQ-EHAQ). References to independent clinical studies concern Austin Air's standard models. Performance may vary depending on conditions of use, and air purifiers are not medical devices.