Improved Sacramento Air Quality

Left: Here are the hourly concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5, meaning particulate matter below 2.5 microns in diameter) at Sacramento's T Street monitor. The new national 24-hour average PM2.5 standard (35 ug/m3) is also indicated (the pre-2006 standard was 65 ug/m3).


The situation improved in Sacramento starting Friday evening. It's still not all that good, but it's better than it was.

Bruce reported on the values in the Auburn area, and it's notable how much higher levels were than they were in Sacramento. Auburn is likely high enough in elevation that the smoke layer that was suspended aloft over Sacramento bumped into the surrounding terrain up in places like Auburn and Colfax:

Numerous area wildfires caused Auburn’s air quality index to zoom to more than nine times the federal air quality standard early Friday morning, according to Placer County air pollution officials.

The federal particulate matter standard for air measured during a 24-hour period, allows for 35 micrograms per cubic meter. On Friday that index soared as high as 323 micrograms in the Auburn area, said Tom Christofk, air pollution control officer of Placer County.

Particle readings were even worse at higher elevations, including Colfax, which saw higher levels on Friday than Thursday, Christofk said.

The readings taken from a micro dust analyzer by Yushuo Chang, supervisor of monitoring at Placer County air control, were highest with a 323 reading at 7 a.m. Friday. From 10 to 11 a.m., Chang said the readings averaged 275, but by 2 p.m., it dropped to 232, still well above the federal average standard of 35. This past Wednesday, particle micrograms were measured at 151 in Auburn and 78 in Roseville.

The standard paper mask that can be purchased at the hardware store is not an effective solution in stopping tiny particles, according to Dr. Mark Starr, director of community health and clinics for Placer County.

“Paper masks will not filter out the fine particles that are contained in the smoke, and for some people it makes it harder to breathe,” Starr said. “If people want to buy a mask they should buy a N-95 mask. It looks similar to the paper mask, but it has a metal piece in the nose bridge and won’t work as well with a person who has a beard.”

While Starr said “our clinics have not seen a notable increase in respiratory complaints so far,” that’s not the case at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

“For our department, we have seen a steady influx of patients on Thursday, which was probably the peak of it,” said Ronna Davis, manager of cardiopulmonary services at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

On Thursday the emergency room at Auburn Faith Hospital, admitted at least eight patients with breathing issues, which is a 200 percent increase, according to Davis.

“But it’s unclear if those were smoke related or just standard breathing issues,” Davis said.

Overall, the hospital has seen “an increase in cardiac and respiratory cases but the increase has not been overwhelming,” said Robin Montgomery, spokeswoman for Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

And courtesy of Frank, here is a pretty picture of Northern California on Thursday, June 26th, after smoke accumulation in the valley had progressed to everyone's great annoyance, and shortly before the situation began improving.