Taking a breath outside is like taking a puff.
Spending just three hours breathing the smoke-and-toxin-riddled Big Apple air on Thursday is equivalent to smoking 2.5 cigarettes, an expert warned.
New Yorkers are breathing “unhealthy” levels of air thanks to the wildfire smoke funneling down from Canada and the Great Lakes — prompting officials to urge residents to remain indoors.
“It’s reasonable to say you’re smoking 10 cigarettes today by breathing the air in New York City,” Michael Petroni, a pollution expert and former EPA employee, told The Post about spending a full day outside.
The five boroughs have been under an Air Quality Health Advisory since Wednesday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hovering in the 151-200 range — well above the 0-50 mark characterized as “good,” according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
That means there are “unhealthy” levels of dust, dirt, soot, smoke and other toxins in the air that New Yorkers would typically only ingest by lighting a few cigarettes.
“The rule of thumb is about 20 AQI points for a whole day equals one cigarette,” explained Petroni, who worked for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
While it may not sound nefarious, that exposure could be chipping away at New Yorkers’ lifespans.
The AQI measures particulate matter, which includes toxins ranging from heavy metals to aerosol droplets and other carcinogens that are invisible to the naked eye.
“They get into your bloodstream because they’re so small and they wreak havoc on your immune system. Over time, that adds up and it increases your likelihood of cancer, of heart disease,” said Petroni, who is currently working on an app that measures the air quality on a day-to-day basis.
Short term stays outdoors can also pose risks, he continued.
New Yorkers can expect itchy eyes, lethargy, inflammation, mucus build-up, headaches, shortness of breath and other symptoms.
“If you go for a run today, you’re gonna notice it really hard. You’re not gonna be able to run as fast. You’re gonna get tired very quickly. Your heart’s gonna race … Your body’s just trying to rush to like clear it all out, and it can’t very quickly,” said Petroni.
The good news is that New Yorkers can reduce their risk by simply staying indoors.
Air purification systems and air conditioning units can clear out the polluted air.
The city is also giving out free K95 masks to those who need to venture outdoors — the masks have up to a 95% pollution prevention rate, said Petroni.
