Air quality in Pahoa monitored by temporary devices

Smoke rises from burning trees as lava approaches Pahoa on the island of Hawai'i. Image courtesy of Hawaii News Now.

Three temporary particulate monitors have been installed in the Pahoa area of Hawai‘i Island by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH). These devices measure air quality levels from the June 27 lava flow; the results are posted for residents to see at Clean Air Branch on the state DOH web site. The Department of Atmospheric Sciences has also developed a model to forecast the lava flow smoke in Puna as part of the Vog Measurement and Prediction Project (VMAP). Health officials recommend residents in smoke affected areas avoid outdoor activities — and anyone with respiratory illness or heart disease — along with older adults and children are urged to avoid smoke exposure.

Read more about it in Big Island Now, Hawaii News Now, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.