Smog => lung damage

[WillStewart]

How do you determine when you will bike commute on a given with an ozone alert and when you will refrain?

At an air quality index of 50-90;

Sensitive people may experience irritation when breathing and possible lung damage when
physically active; people with heart/lung disorders at greater risk

(Fine Particulate Effects)
People with respiratory disease should limit prolonged exertion;general population at some risk

At 100+:

Serious respiratory effects, even during light physical activity; people with heart/lung disorders at high risk;

(Fine Particulate Effects)
Serious respiratory effects even during light physical activity; people with heart disease, the elderly and children at high risk;
increased risk for general population

Today, for example;

The combination of temperatures in the low to mid 90s along with
high moisture content will cause heat index values to be between
100 and 105 degrees through late this afternoon. After 6
PM… heat index values will decrease into the upper 90s.

Your approach to this?

Topic

[mosesdef]

http://airnow.gov/

here is the link to the local air quality conditions and forecast.

[Dirt]

If there’s air outside, I ride. I adjust my expectations for speed and distance based upon conditions.

[jrenaut]

@Dirt 5701 wrote:

If there’s air outside, I ride. I adjust my expectations for speed and distance based upon conditions.

Agree. I’d rather have lung damage than live my life based on a weather report.

[WillStewart]

From http://www.deq.virginia.gov/air/air-quality-data/current-year.html

Arlington County Eight-hour ozone exceedences (2011 recorded ozone concentrations greater than 75 parts per billion);

May 31, 2011: 93 PPB
June 8, 2011: 82 PPB
June 9, 2011: 79 PPB
June 10, 2011: 100 PPB
July 2, 2011: 87 PPB
July 5, 2011: 78 PPB
July 7, 2011: 89 PPB

[WillStewart]

@jrenaut 5702 wrote:

I’d rather have lung damage than live my life based on a weather report.

On bad ozone days, I’m switching over to bus/metrorail, so it’s not clear how you extrapolate this to “live my life based on a weather report”. I personally would prefer not to damage my lungs by ignoring such conditions, but that’s just me. I bike commute for improved health and reducing dependence on foreign oil, and continue to meet those objectives with this approach.

[jrenaut]

@WillStewart 5705 wrote:

On bad ozone days, I’m switching over to bus/metrorail, so it’s not clear how you extrapolate this to “live my life based on a weather report”. I personally would prefer not to damage my lungs by ignoring such conditions, but that’s just me. I bike commute for improved health and reducing dependence on foreign oil, and continue to meet those objectives with this approach.

I’m just speaking for myself. You don’t need my permission or approval to make your own decisions.

[Dirt]

@jrenaut 5702 wrote:

Agree. I’d rather have lung damage than live my life based on a weather report.

The damage done to me by not riding isn’t always visible. I feel it though. I guess that answers the “Why do you still ride after being hit by cars so many times?” question too.

[Jsnyd]

I thought about going out today. But then the wife woke up late and I was stuck babysitting. I think deep down I was looking for an excuse. When I go out to ride I generally go for a workout and get ready for my longer ride late August. I’m just worried I’m doing more harm them good once I’m huffing and puffing.

[WillStewart]

@jrenaut 5706 wrote:

You don’t need my permission or approval to make your own decisions.

No problem, I didn’t ask. I admire your tenacity at bike commuting, though.

Dirt wrote:

The damage done to me by not riding isn’t always visible. I feel it though.

Good point. I am shooting for at least 5 hours per week on two wheels, though am typically over 7. No doubt others are higher.

[Dirt]

@WillStewart 5717 wrote:

No doubt others are higher.

No need to worry what others do. Awesome that you’re getting the time in the saddle. I think most of us wish we could ride more than we do. Great job!

[Jsnyd]

With that being said. I went to Indian Head Rail Trail this morning, away from the city. Breathing was great! I could breathe in deep, smell more the pavement and there was even a cool breeze.

[vvill]

Yeah today is yellow, which isn’t that bad but peaks around when I do my home commute. Bleh.

I usually keep a browser tab open on weather.gov’s forecast ozone levels for my location, and refresh the page before heading out. Here’s Rosslyn, VA:
http://www.weather.gov/aq/probe_aq_data.php?latitude=38.89&longitude=-77.08

An easier to read handy one is:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/environment/airquality/
although it’s only a 2 day forecast, I think – the third day is always gray.

I wear a Respro Techno mask on orange days, for as long as I can. It is hard to get enough oxygen with this on. (link: http://www.respro.com/products/industrial/urban-environment/techno_mask/ )
This mask is supposed to filter out both particulate matter and gases/vapors such as ozone.

They’re a UK company which seems reputable to me (they were carried in many stores in UK) but do have some limited distribution over here.

On orange days I also drive most of my commute and just ride 3.5 mi (each way).

Red days I probably wouldn’t ride…

Here’s some other pollution masks I’ve considered too.

I would consider trying this one, it closely resembles the Respro but don’t know how good it really is:
http://thefilt-rmask.com/

Another couple of similar options, websites are a bit basic though
http://www.gflowmask.com/
http://icanbreathe.com/store/page15.html

Don’t know anything about this one, it looks unwieldy, and there’s not much info on the site about what it actually filters out:
http://www.thinkbiologic.com/products/pollution-mask

Love the design of this one, but it doesn’t filter ozone or CO afaik:
http://totobobo.com/

[WillStewart]

@vvill 5860 wrote:

I wear a Respro Techno mask on orange days, for as long as I can. It is hard to get enough oxygen with this on. (link: http://www.respro.com/products/industrial/urban-environment/techno_mask/ )
This mask is supposed to filter out both

They’re a UK company which seems reputable to me (they were carried in many stores in UK) but do have some limited distribution over here.

On orange days I also drive most of my commute and just ride 3.5 mi (each way).[/quote]

Thanks for sharing this. When I went to the site and drilled down for more detail, it seems to focus on particulate matter down to 0.3 microns, which is far below the level of the 2.5 micron standard, so the PM protection looks outstanding.

I didn’t see anything about ozone control, did I miss something?

Thanks again for running down a number of masks, btw.

[vvill]

@WillStewart 5863 wrote:

Thanks for sharing this. When I went to the site and drilled down for more detail, it seems to focus on particulate matter down to 0.3 microns, which is far below the level of the 2.5 micron standard, so the PM protection looks outstanding.

I didn’t see anything about ozone control, did I miss something?

Thanks again for running down a number of masks, btw.

No problem. I researched a bit myself due to concerns about commuting pollution. I added a couple more options to the list.

Sorry, I missed a bit in my original post. Should’ve said “both particulate matter and gases/vapors”.

Anyway, here is a bit about gases/vapors that mentions the “Dynamic ACC (Activated Charcoal Cloth) filter” that’s in that mask’s filter.
http://www.respro.com/protection-faqs/#q2

[Brendan von Buckingham]

There’s all sorts of things in urban air. Professionally I work with historic architecture and old buildings. Went to a seminar on historic masonry. When they clean masonry buildings of decades worth of grime, guess what the number one contaminant is. Rubber. Rubber from millions of tires slowly wearing away, every day.

[Author]

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