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Air Quality Advisory Issued

Dec 15, 2017 | 12:26 PM

An air quality advisory has been issued for Lavington.

The Ministry of Environment says it’s due to high concentrations of fine particulates, which are expected to remain until there is a change in current weather conditions.

People with chronic underlying medical conditions should not take part in strenuous outdoor exercise until the advisory is lifted.

The ministry says factors contributing to reduced air quality include wood smoke (wood stoves, open burning), industry emissions, and transportation such as vehicles and rail traffic.

“Fine particulate (PM2.5) concentrations are currently above advisory levels,” says meteorologist Tarek Ayache. “Latest PM2.5 measurements at the Lavington Baptist Church station indicate an hourly average of 33.4 micrograms per cubic metre. The average for the past 24 hours is 27.8 micrograms per cubic metre, which exceeds the provincial air quality objective of 25 micrograms per cubic metre.”