Month: March 2025

How to Use the Air Quality Health Index During Wildfire Season

Posted on March 31, 2025

2024 showed a notable decline in higher risk to health ratings from wildfire smoke in our region, but every year typically brings at least some poor air quality days as a result of smoke from wildfires.

How is wildfire smoke potentially harmful?

Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of many gases and particles, but it’s fine particulate matter that poses the main health risk. These particles measure less than 2.5 micron meters (µm) in diameter – so small they can’t be seen without a microscope. A single strand of human hair is at least 20 times larger, averaging 50-70 µm in diameter. 

It’s these tiny particles that can get into your eyes, respiratory system and bloodstream (source: MyHealth Alberta).

Assessing your personal health risk using the AQHI

Even so, wildfire smoke affects everyone differently. This is why the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is designed to help you decide whether you need to take measures, using your own situation and symptoms as a guide.

MyHealth Alberta advises if you don’t have any specific health concerns, you may simply experience burning eyes, a runny nose, or coughing.

But if you already have a heart or lung health concern, elevated levels of PM2.5 may make it worse.

You are also more at risk if you are pregnant, a senior, or involved in outdoor work or strenuous exercise. Children are more at risk because their respiratory systems are still developing, they breathe in more air and are likely to be more active (source: MyHealth Alberta).

If you live near Bruderheim, Elk Island, Fort Saskatchewan, Gibbons, Lamont or Redwater, you can check your hourly AQHI right on our homepage at heartlandairmonitoring.org.

The following scale can help you determine your risk level and activities accordingly.

 

2024 Air Quality Trends Show Notable Decline in High Risk Ratings Despite Wildfire Smoke and Other Seasonal Factors

Posted on March 17, 2025

Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership (HAMP), the organization that monitors the air local residents breathe, has released its 2024 Annual Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) monitoring results, detailing air quality data collected at seven of HAMP’s continuous monitoring stations throughout the region.

The AQHI, calculated by the Government of Alberta using HAMP data, measures air quality relative to human health risk, ranging from low to very high. The 2024 report indicates that most of the year saw low to moderate AQHI levels, with occasional high or very high-risk periods primarily associated with wildfire smoke events and wintertime inversions.

Across the 57,914 reported hours, the AQHI indicated:

  • Low Risk: 91.4% of the time (52,917 hours)
  • Moderate Risk: 6.6% (3,796 hours)
  • High Risk: 1.1% (650 hours)
  • Very High Risk: 1.0% (551 hours)

By comparison, in 2023 there were 1,517 hours of high-risk (2.65%) and 614 hours of very high-risk (1.07%) AQHI ratings.

Key Air Quality Events in 2024

The most notable air quality events were related to wildfire smoke, particularly from May through September. Several days saw AQHI ratings reach high or very high levels, with the most prolonged event occurring between July 16 and 25. This event, driven by a combination of wildfire smoke and summertime smog (formed through ground-level ozone), was measured at multiple stations.

Other causes of high-risk periods included wintertime inversions in January and December and unattributed events in spring and summer, leading to short-term air quality deteriorations.

Exceedances in 2024

HAMP continuously monitors air quality against Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives (AAAQO). 2024 saw a notable decrease (996 total) in exceedances compared to 2023 (2,125 total), largely due to fewer wildfire smoke-related events. There was also a significant decline in one-hour PM2.5 exceedances compared to 2023 (785 in 2024 vs. 1,745 in 2023). However, the high or very high risk AQHI – especially during the summer months – highlights the ongoing challenge of seasonal air quality impacts.

Summary of Exceedances: 2019-2024

The following table details the number of exceedances for substances measured by HAMP across all stations in 2024 and the five years previous.

Parameter Measured

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

Ammonia (NH3)

1-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

Benzene (C6H6)

1-hr

7

24

–

–

–

–

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

1-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

8-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

Ethyl Benzene (C6H5CH2CH3)

1-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

Ethylene
(C2H4)

1-hr

–

1

–

–

–

–

3-day

–

6

–

–

–

–

Annual

–

–

–

–

–

–

Fine Particulate Matter

(PM2.5)

1-hr

785

1745

118

392

6

119

24-hr

143

290

53

60

19

37

Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S)

1-hr

35

7

19

16

7

8

24-hr

5

1

1

–

1

1

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

1-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

24-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

Annual

–

–

–

–

–

–

Ozone (O3)

1-hr

20

49

3

3

–

23

Styrene (C8H8)

1-hr

–

2

–

–

–

–

Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)

1-hr

1

–

–

–

–

–

24-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

30-day

–

–

–

–

–

–

Annual

–

–

–

–

–

–

Toluene (C6H5CH3)

1-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

Xylenes (o-, m- and p- isomers)

1-hr

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total

 

996

2125

194

471

33

188

 

For the full 2024 Annual Air Quality Monitoring Results report, including detailed station data and exceedance summaries, visit our 2024 air quality monitoring summary.