Huntington Beach, California, April 28, 2023
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with AirNow partners that include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and various other federal, state and local agencies have announced that May 1st through the 5th is Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW).
The goal of AQAW is to promote events that increase air quality awareness and encourage people to regularly check the Air Quality Index (AQI) in their area. This year’s theme is Working Together for Clean Air and agencies sponsoring the annual event will focus on the following daily topics:
- Monday – Wildfires and Smoke
- Tuesday – Asthma and Your Health
- Wednesday – Air Quality and Transportation
- Thursday – Air Quality and Climate
- Friday – Participatory Science
“AQAW’s first daily focus, wildfires and smoke, has impacted millions of residents and visitors to California, especially over the last several years with some historic wildfire seasons,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “Exposure to wildfire smoke can exacerbate a number of respiratory conditions, including asthma, the focus of day 2. In California, asthma impacts millions of adults and children and can be triggered by exposure to airborne pollutants, both outdoors and indoors. Common indoor asthma triggers include mold, dust mites, pet and rodent dander, and a number of other triggers.”
With many people spending upwards of 90% of their time indoors, the indoor air quality of homes, schools and businesses needs to be free of elevated levels of particulate matter, chemicals and biological pollutants that could act as a respiratory irritant, cause allergies, trigger an asthma attack or aggravate other lung diseases. This is why LA Testing’s industrial hygiene and environmental laboratories support the efforts of AQAW and offer indoor and outdoor air quality testing services, sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits and monitoring instruments. Last year, LA Testing even sponsored an educational video about Air Quality Awareness Week that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/XRzwmVzZspE
To learn more about air quality testing services and resources, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. For access to indoor environmental quality test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.
About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor environmental quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.