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Air Quality Awareness Week |
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Air Quality Awareness Week is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative to increase awareness of air quality and to remind everyone to check the air quality year-around at AirNow.gov.
"Stay Air Aware" is the theme this year.
Follow us on our Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) social media platforms - Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn - where we will share information, resources, and helpful links on different air quality topics the week of May 5.
Related resources
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Tips to protect yourself from unhealthy air
Increase your air quality awareness and encourage others to do the same. Stay air aware and be prepared to take steps to protect yourself and others from poor air quality.
The American Lung Association (ALA) has some very simple, effective tips for protecting you and your family from the dangers of outdoor air pollution. Visit the ALA website to learn more about lung health and 10 Tips to Protect Yourself From Unhealthy Air.
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Did you know?
Per the American Heart Association there is growing evidence linking air pollution and heart disease. Short term exposure can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, arrhythmias, and heart failure in older adults and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Work with your health care professional to understand the risks in your area and what precautions you should take.
Guidance to protect kids when air pollution levels are high
To help adults make decisions that will protect children and young adults, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has developed outdoor activity guidance linked to the Air Quality Index. This document provides guidance on when and how to adjust outdoor activities when air pollution levels are elevated, such as when wildfire smoke moves into the area. The goal is to help kids stay active while protecting their health.
Check the air quality in your community
Stay informed about your local air quality conditions by visiting the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Current Air Quality Conditions.
Check the air where you are
Use the AirNow app to get current air quality conditions for Minnesota on your mobile device. Download Apple or Android apps.
Be smoke ready
If you live in an area where the wildfire risk is high, take steps now to prepare for wildfire season. Being prepared for fire season is especially important for the health of children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease.
Information is available on the Be Smoke Ready website that can help you plan ahead and know your risk.
May is Asthma Awareness Month!
When you control your asthma, you can breathe easier, be active, and sleep well. The first step in raising asthma awareness is learning about asthma and educating friends, family, and others with ways to control asthma. Help us raise awareness this month by learning and sharing ways to manage asthma and asthma triggers.
Environmental factors can trigger or exacerbate asthma symptoms. Work with a health professional to develop a written asthma action plan to control asthma triggers in your environment.
Learn more about Asthma Awareness Month:
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The Air We Breathe report
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) released The air we breathe: The state of Minnesota's air quality 2025 (PDF) to the Minnesota Legislature. This biennial status report includes information on emissions of toxic air pollutants and mercury in Minnesota and MPCA's strategies to reduce them.
Learn more
- The pollutant of most concern from wildfire smoke is fine particulate matter (PM 2.5). PM 2.5 from wildfire smoke is damaging to human health because it can deeply penetrate lung tissue and even affect the heart and circulation.
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Asthma Emergency Room visits due to air pollution are more than 5 times higher in Twin Cities communities with greater numbers of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) than in other parts of the cities.
- Learn about air quality and health.
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