Data indicates drop in Bay Area residents’ indoor air quality due to California wildfires

SAN FRANCISCO - October 13, 2017:  Awair, the creators of products that track air quality in homes, has released new data revealing that the several wildfires sweeping through California have caused a significant drop in indoor air quality in the homes of Bay Area residents. The air quality data was collected from hundreds of Awair devices that are in-use in San Francisco.

According to the data, up to 85% of Bay Area households (with Awair units) have reported unhealthy indoor air.

Chart showing the increase of households with unhealthy air quality in the Bay Area during the timeframe of the wildfires

The drop in indoor air quality is attributed to the increased concentration of dust and particulate matter carried down to the Bay Area from the wildfires in the North. Between October 7th and October 11th, the concentration of dust and particulates indoors dramatically increased to unhealthy levels.

 

Chart showing the increase of Indoor Particle Pollution Levels in Bay Area Households with Awair devices during the time of the wildfires

A rare hazardous warning has been issued for the Bay Area by the Environmental Protection Agency and residents have been cautioned to stay indoors and find filtered air. However, Awair’s data illustrates that staying indoors may still put people at risk of air contamination, especially children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, and heart disease. Research has shown that indoor air can be significantly more  polluted than outdoor air.

As a response to the growing concern of the wildfires’ impact on air quality, Awair will be donating air quality monitors to various schools and daycares throughout the Bay Area to allow them to track the air in their facilities and empower them to make decisions that will keep children healthy.

Awair’s founder Ronald Ro has offered the following advice for Bay Area residents concerned with the effects of poor indoor air quality on their health:

• Keep windows and doors closed as much as possible
• To promote healthy and comfortable air,, set ceiling fans to spin counter-clockwise, pulling hot air up.
• Wipe down surfaces to prevent excess dust and particles from accumulating on furniture
• If air is too contaminated indoors, move to a location with better air quality

For media inquiries on the newly released data from Awair, please contact Paolo Ramos at paoloramos@maxborgesagency.com

For more information on Awair, visit www.getawair.com

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About Awair

Awair’s mission is to empower you with the knowledge, motivation and confidence to thrive in your environment. Bitfinder (Awair) was founded in 2013 by Ronald Ro, CEO and Kevin Cho, CTO and is located in San Francisco, CA.