AUSTIN, Texas — Wildfire season has already impacted several areas of Central Texas.
The constant abundance of wildfire smoke can lead to poorer air quality. When dealing with poor outdoor conditions, staying inside and maintaining good indoor air quality should be a top priority. Dr. Nikki Vars McCullough of 3M's Personal Safety Division said when the air outside is unhealthy or poor, it's important to try to keep the air inside your home or your building as clean as possible.
"The first thing you want to do is to close your windows and doors, and that will help keep the particles outside. But because these particles are so small, they can get inside. So filtration is a great way to help try to maintain good indoor air quality," McCullough said.
Experts believe an HVAC system is most effective when equipped with a high efficiency filter. An N95 respirator is also an option to help reduce exposure to airborne particulate pollution.
McCullough said anytime the air is unhealthy outside, it's always recommended that people stay inside and somewhere that has good air quality whenever possible. However, that's not always practical, as many people have tasks that require them to be outdoors. Because of that, wearing an N95 respirator mask can help.
"As long as you find one that fits your face and you follow the user instructions to make sure that it's getting a good seal to your face, that's going to help filter out small particles that you might breathe in," McCullough said.