For June 7 and 8, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy issued an air quality alert in 28 southern Michigan counties covering much of the SE portion of the state. This is in response to the U.S. EPA’s Air Quality Index indicating that PM 2.5 is at “red” to “orange” unhealthy levels.

This air quality is a health concern, particularly for people most sensitive to particulate matter.

 For people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and teens it is suggested to take the following steps to reduce exposure:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Keep outdoor activities short.
• Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

For everyone else:

• Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
• Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
• Be active outdoors when air quality is better.

Live color-coded air quality conditions along with steps to protect your health can be found at the AirNow website and mobile app.