Children Advised Against Going Outside In Oregon Due To Air Quality

Parts of Oregon are experiencing pollution levels deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” according to an AirNow map from agencies including the EPA and NOAA.

Affected areas include Baker City and the Wood River Valley, northeast of Medford, according to Newsweek.

The Newsweek report says cites health officials who say that children, seniors, and people with respiratory conditions face increased risks.

A South Coast AQMD spokesperson previously told Newsweek that exposure to particle pollution “can cause premature death in people with heart or lung disease, cause heart attacks, aggravate asthma, decrease lung function, and cause respiratory symptoms like coughing and difficulty breathing.”

The Air Quality Index (AQI) categorizes pollution on a 0–500 scale. Levels from 101–150 (orange) indicate air that is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

Scores from 0–50 (green) indicate good air quality, while 51–100 (yellow) is moderate, with possible risks for sensitive people. Levels of 101–150 (orange) are unhealthy for sensitive groups like children and those with heart or lung conditions. Readings from 151–200 (red) are unhealthy for everyone, 201–300 (purple) are very unhealthy with emergency health warnings, and 301–500 (maroon) are hazardous, posing serious risks to the entire population.

Jonathan Grigg, professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine, noted: “There are vulnerable groups and classically they are children because they’ve got an extra issue to do with their lungs developing.” He added, “There are also very clear links between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,” and that air pollution worsens conditions like asthma.

Air quality levels remain under close watch and are subject to change with the weather.