Air quality in Philadelphia shows signs of improving, trash pickup expected to resume Saturday
Health officials in Philadelphia have transitioned the air quality alert from Code Purple to Code Red as Canadian wildfire smoke continues to blanket the city, but warn that a Code Purple could return later Friday night.
Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson said during a news conference Friday afternoon that the city hopes to be out of the danger zone Saturday.
"Let me be clear, our air quality is still unhealthy," Raval-Nelson said. "Right now, things are better than they have been since last night, but as we're learning, this is a changeable situation depending on the wind pattern and other things. While we're in Code Red right now, some forecasts are saying we are back in Code Purple tonight."
A Code Red air quality alert means the air is unhealthy to breathe, meaning members of sensitive groups or those with compromised immune systems may experience serious health effects.
A Code Purple means the air is very unhealthy and everyone is at risk of health effects.
When will trash and recycling pickup resume in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia suspended trash and recycling pickups and closed pools and spray grounds because of the air quality Friday. They urged people not to leave their trash or recycling while the services are suspended.
Carlton Williams, director of the city's Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, said the city will likely resume trash and recycling pickup on Saturday and Sunday in order to keep up with the schedule.
"We do plan on working all day Saturday and Sunday to ensure last week's trash and recycling is collected in time for our service to be on a regular schedule starting Monday," Williams said.
The city is planning on reopening pools on Saturday, but that depends on the air quality alert. Leaders said the city will close the pools if the air quality returns to a Code Purple.
CBS News Philadelphia saw residents outside Friday, with some wearing masks. They said they're limiting their outdoor activities.
"It's been scary because I have COPD, so it's been rough," Joseph Smith said. "I didn't go out much yesterday. Unfortunately, I won't be out much today either."
"The sky is more of a gray blue, so I am making some changes to my walking," a woman from Fairmount said. "My dog needs to walk, but I'm also thinking differently about how much or how long."
What are the health concerns for air quality alerts?
Doctors say it's best to limit time outside during these types of air quality alerts and take precautions when outside. They recommend wearing either a well-fitted N95 or a KN95 mask.
The masks help guard against the dangerous air filled with toxic pollution from the wildfires. It produces tiny particulate matter that can penetrate deep into people's lungs and cause widespread inflammation.
"The airways narrow that causes coughing," Dr. Patrick Mulhall of Virtua Health said. "It causes wheezing. It causes shortness of breath. And then the blood vessels can cause elevations in heart rate. The reality is, the more exposure you have, the more likely that it could cause long-term injury."
Raval-Nelson says the air quality in Philly is fluctuating between Code Red and Purple, indicating different levels of dangerous air pollution.
"As we're learning, this is a changeable situation depending on wind pattern and other things," Raval-Nelson said. "It's not time to put your guard down. We all need to stay alert. If we are back in Code Purple, 90 minutes is the maximum time you should be spending outdoors. That's not a bad metric for Code Red either."
Low visibility from wildfire smoke leads to ground delay at PHL
Wildfire smoke from Canada is also impacting flights at Philadelphia International Airport, as the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a ground delay that is in effect until 11 p.m. Friday.
Delays are beginning to pile up as over 300 flights have been delayed, with the impact mostly affecting arriving flights.
The smoke is causing low visibility for pilots, leading to the FAA-issued ground delay.
A spokesperson for PHL says delays could vary and leave some passengers possibly waiting for longer than an hour.
The average, the FAA saying, about 67 minutes. It could be more, it could be less," PHL spokesperson Heather Redfern said. "And according to their scope, it looks to be only in the contiguous United States. So, just where we're seeing that wildfire smoke across the country is what's really impacting the flights getting here. "
