Community Guide to Wildfire Smoke and Health
HEALTH EFFECTS AND EXPOSURE REDUCTION RESOURCES
VERSION 2.1
Community Guide to Wildfire Smoke and Health
School Guide to Wildfire Smoke and Health
HEALTH EFFECTS AND EXPOSURE REDUCTION RESOURCES
School Guide to Wildfire Smoke and Health
For contact information:
Tanya Carlson
Calgary Region Airshed Zone Engagement Program Manager 403-968-5522 Tanya.carlson@craz.ca
Monitoring in High River
The Calgary Region Airshed Zone (CRAZ) and Town of High River announce a partnership in concert with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas to bring air quality monitoring to High River. For one year, funding is provided to deploy a portable monitoring station (PAML) in High River. The trailer has arrived and is located adjacent to the Highwood Spray Park on High Country Drive.
CRAZ objectives are to monitor air quality in the areas that have little or no previous monitoring, supporting a long-term strategy for ambient air quality monitoring. The PAML will be stationed in High River until November 30, 2023. It will gather high quality data enabling it to produce a snapshot of air quality, as well as an air quality health index (AQHI) for the location.
High River places high value on the local environment and natural capital. The deployment of the Alberta Environment and Protected Areas PAML in partnership with CRAZ is only possible with the cooperation and support of the Town of High River, noted CRAZ representatives.
- Read the Regional Air Quality FAQs for High River HERE (PDF)
- Read more about Alberta’s Air Quality and Measurements (Link)
- Visit the Air Quality Monitoring in High River web page
Benefits to High River include:
- Establishment of a baseline Air Quality Index for this area.
- AQHI provides an important tool for all community residents to monitor the air quality and relate it to human health and outdoor activities.
- Over the coming year High River will be able to compare air quality to neighbouring municipalities and to locations across Canada and around the world.
- Air quality alerts relating to such things as wildfire smoke will also be relevant to High River area residents.
- This partnership will also provide opportunities to explore odour.
The Calgary Region Airshed Zone is also working with the Natural Resources Canada Board to bring additional monitoring to High River.
For more information:
Mandeep Dhaliwal, Air Quality Program Manager
Calgary Region Airshed Zone Mandeep.Dhaliwal@craz.ca
Purple Air Project
The Calgary Region Airshed Zone is collaborating with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to bring Purple Air Monitoring to the region.
Purple Air Monitors are low cost sensors that are used to supplement government air data to provide a better understanding of local-scale air pollution. The level of pollution can change quickly and vary within the same neighbourhood, these monitors provide air quality maps for communities to better protect vulnerable populations.
PURPLE AIR SENSORS
The PA-II is an air quality sensor that measures real-time PM2.5 concentrations. Built-in WiFi enables the sensor to transmit data to the PurpleAir map, where it is stored and made available to any smart device.
Dimensions: 3.5 in x3.5 in x 5 in (85 mm x 85 mm x 125 mm)
Purple Air Collaborator Information
Teachers Lesson Plan
CRAZ has developed a teacher’s lesson plan that involves students conducting an air quality experiment, graphing their results and creating their own invention to clean the air. Students will understand how air quality can be impacted and how air quality impacts their health. They will also learn how air pollution relates to climate change and identify actions they can take to reduce air pollution.
Grade level and Curriculum link: Grade 5 Science, Investigate relationships between weather phenomena and human activity. Recognize human actions can affect climate and identify human actions linked to the greenhouse effect.
CRAZ will also provide your school with all the materials needed to run this lesson plan!
CRAZ also gives Grade 5 students a free presentation on air quality, and as a little surprise we will bring your school an Idle Free Zone, Turn Engine Off sign to display at your school.
https://craz.ca/downloads/CRAZ-Teacher-Lesson-Plan.pdf
Let’s Make the Invisible Visible Online Learning Plan with Virtual Classroom PowerPoint
Join Professor Airianna on an adventure to learn how air quality can be impacted and how air quality impacts health. Students will learn how air quality relates to climate change and identify actions they can take to reduce air pollution.
CRAZ Educational Resources
Tailpipe Pollution Challenge.pdf
The Air We Share Teacher’s Curriculum.pdf
Tailpipe Pollution Challenge
Want a fun challenge for your co-workers? Try the Tailpipe Polltution Challenge! Check what is coming out of your vehicles tailpipe and compare.
Workplace Commuter Options
CRAZ has developed this toolkit to help organizations foster a more efficient, healthy, and environmentally responsible way for their employees to travel to and from work. This document provides direction and resources that will help you develop a Commuter Options Program for your work place.
Media
For Media Release
CRAZ is a leading source of air quality in the City of Calgary and its surrounding communities. With real time data and specialized staff, CRAZ can guarantee to provide up to date information on what is happening with the air quality at any moment. CRAZ Air Quality Manager, Mandeep Dhaliwal is available to answer questions, give live interviews or tour media of the Ambient Air Monitoring Station on request.
CRAZ has developed toolkits for commuter options, idle-free campaigns, and school “Clean Air” strategies.
CRAZ is an organization that has been set up in partnership with municipal and provincial governments, the public and not for profit sector, and with industry to monitor and manage air quality in the City of Calgary and surrounding communities.
Visit the CRAZ website daily for the Air Quality Health Index, the AQHI provides a number form 1 – 10+ to indicate the level of health risk associated with local air quality.
For more information or questions on the Calgary Region Airshed Zone please email Tanya at Tanya.carlson@craz.ca or phone 403-968-5522.
Ambient Air Monitoring Station Tours
Tours can be given to the public, groups (schools, businesses, non profits, etc), and to media inquiring about air quality data collection.
To book a tour of the Ambient Air Monitoring Station – Central Station please contact Tanya.carlson@craz.ca
2023 CRAZ Annual General Meeting
A great AGM was held on June 6th, 2023. All the presentations are available to view:
For more information please contact tanya.carlson@craz.ca.
