Kids, school and bad air: what each AQI level means

Kids take in more pollution than adults

Children breathe more air for their size than adults do, and they're more active, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). More air in means more pollution in. Their lungs keep developing until about age 21, the Oregon Health Authority says.

The EPA says children are at greatest risk from ozone because they're more likely to be outside and active when ozone is high. They're also more likely than adults to have asthma.

California's school guidance says all children count as sensitive once the AQI passes 100. Oregon's guide covers everyone 18 and under. So when the forecast says "unhealthy for sensitive groups," that group includes your kids.

Watch for these symptoms

The EPA's guide for schools lists coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing and chest tightness. Kids without asthma can get them too. Oregon adds burning eyes, an irritated nose and throat, tiredness and headache, and says symptoms can start or linger in the week after a smoky day.

A child with symptoms may need a break, an easier activity, to go inside, or their quick-relief medicine, the EPA guide says. If symptoms don't get better, get medical help.

What schools do at each AQI level

The rules vary. The EPA's national guide for schools covers every pollutant. California, Oregon and Washington wrote stricter rules for smoke (fine particles, or PM2.5). Your district may use one of these, its own version or none, so ask which it follows. Some schools also fly a flag in the day's AQI color through AirNow's Air Quality Flag Program.

The EPA guide's top row is purple. At maroon (301 and up), California keeps all activity inside. Oregon's guide also tightens with time outside: a camp day of more than 4 hours gets stricter limits than a 20-minute recess at the same AQI.

Recess, PE and sports

Kids who breathe harder and longer take more pollution into their lungs. The EPA guide's fixes: more breaks, rotate players often, walk instead of run. It says there's no set number of safe minutes outside on an unhealthy day. The worse the air, the more the breaks matter.

Indoor play still counts toward the 60 minutes a day of activity the CDC recommends for kids. The EPA guide suggests jumping, skipping, sit-ups, push-ups, or gym games with cones, hoops and balls.

Oregon counts the trip to school as time outdoors if kids walk, bike or ride a bus with the windows open. It also asks schools to weigh the cost of canceling, since kids lose exercise and time outside.

Smoke days and ozone days need different plans

Check which pollutant is pushing the AQI up. AirNow shows it with the forecast, and our smoke or smog map shows which one causes most bad days in your county.

On ozone days, move outdoor play and practice to the morning. The EPA guide says ozone is often worst on hot, sunny afternoons and early evenings. With the windows closed, indoor ozone should be much lower, so kids can stay active inside. Our ozone guide has more.

On smoke days, particles can be high at any hour, so move kids inside to a room with filtered air. Oregon says that if you're not sure the air inside is cleaner, assume it's about the same as outside. It names MERV 13 or higher filters in the heating and cooling system, or HEPA air cleaners, as ways to cut indoor smoke. At home, set up a clean room where your child sleeps.

On any bad day, keep kids away from idling buses and busy roads, especially at rush hour, because exhaust adds particles. And watch the heat: Oregon warns that heat and bad air together make health problems worse.

Kids with asthma need a plan at school

An asthma action plan is a written plan from your child's doctor. It lists daily medicines, triggers and what to do when symptoms get worse. On orange and red days, the EPA guide says students with asthma should follow it and keep their quick-relief medicine handy.

• Give the school a copy. The AAP asks schools to keep a current plan on file and asks parents to turn in the health forms and medicines.
• Ask about carrying the inhaler. Every state and Washington, D.C., has a law that lets students carry their own quick-relief inhaler, the American Lung Association says. Schools almost always ask for a parent's OK and the doctor's permission first.
• Talk to the doctor before smoke season. The EPA's family fact sheet suggests a wildfire plan for any child with a chronic condition.

The EPA guide says students whose asthma is well controlled should be able to take part fully in all activities.

Babies and toddlers need clean indoor air

Children should only wear a mask if they're older than 2 and can tell you when it bothers them, according to the Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU). The CDC says NIOSH-approved respirators don't come in sizes for very young children.

To protect babies and toddlers:

• Keep them inside with windows and doors shut. Run the air conditioning on recirculate if you have it, and a portable air cleaner too (EPA).
• Put a HEPA air purifier in the room where your child sleeps or spends the most time (AAP). Our purifier guide explains how to size one.
• In the car, close the windows and set the air conditioning to recirculate (EPA).

Humidifiers and a wet washcloth over the face don't block smoke, the EPA says.

For older kids, PEHSU says most children 7 and up fit an adult small N95. From 2 to 7, a child-size surgical mask may fit better. Use masks for short trips outside, such as between home and school, and take one off if your child says it's hard to breathe (EPA). A mask doesn't make extra outdoor play safe, PEHSU adds.

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