BERKS COUNTY, Pa. – Air quality experts in Berks County are seeing increases in dangerous particulates in the air as we experience another day of dealing with Canadian wildfire smoke.
“Anything that’s not supposed to be there besides the good air quality the system is producing,” said Michael Bernabe, an HVAC and Air Quality Specialist.
The Reading Fightin Phils are set to play Friday night, providing a statement to 69 News, saying, “The Reading Fightin Phils have consulted with local weather authorities and medical professionals and plan to proceed with tonight’s game as scheduled at 7 p.m. with the forecast for improving air quality throughout the day.”
“Any issues with breathing or air quality, it’s going to take a reading of all the air quality in the house, and then it kicks it back to us, and we give the customer a readout of all the particulates,” Bernabe said.
Last week, the air quality reading in Berks County showed the top particulate matter at 19.2.
“Any small particulates in the ductwork itself, some people have UV bulbs in their systems, this will pick up any kind of small particulate,” Bernabe said.
The particulate reading from this week was reading at 179.4. That’s a big jump, and Bernabe says the wildfire smoke plays a big role.
Specialists say if you’re concerned about air quality issues in your home, especially if you or a loved one has health conditions like asthma or COPD, get your air checked out.
“If they have an issue where they’re complaining about the air quality or they think something’s going on, this is why we run the machine to see what the air quality is in the house,” said Bernabe.