http://airnow.gov/
here is the link to the local air quality conditions and forecast.
thank you Jsnyd and WillStewart for the insight.
After a commute (on Seven Locks Rd., a fairly busy road) I usually have a fine layer of dust/dirt covering my face… is this the same as the toxic particulates that can cause lung damage?
I would suggest riding up Seven Locks Rd. instead, I believe it would be a shorter commute.