Air Quality Awareness Week and Protecting Workers, Students, and Building Occupants from Airborne Pollutants

Since 2007, Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW) has been recognized throughout the United States. AQAW takes place this year from May 1^st through the 5^th and the theme for this year is Working Together for Clean Air. The annual event is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and AirNow, home of the U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI). Other partners include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and numerous federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

The week-long campaign promotes events that increase air quality awareness and encourages people to check the Air Quality Index. Each year, specific daily topics are announced to educate the public about how the air they breathe can impact their health and quality of life. For 2023, they include:

• Wildfires & Smoke
• Asthma and Your Health
• Air Quality and Transportation
• Air Quality and Climate
• Participatory Science

One of the topics that has been covered multiple times during Air Quality Awareness Week is asthma. According to the CDC, more than 25 million children and adults in the United States suffered from asthma as recently as 2020. That same year there were well over a million emergency room visits due to asthma, and tragically, more than 4,100 deaths.

“AQAW is the perfect opportunity to educate the public, workers, and employers about asthma and common triggers to help people avoid attacks and manage the disease,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “There are a number of asthma triggers many people are exposed to in their daily lives, including at work or in school. These include mold, tobacco smoke, dust mites, outdoor air pollution, cockroach allergens, pet dander, various chemicals, fragrances, and smoke from burning wood to name a few. To help protect workers, students, and building occupants from these types of exposure risks, the industrial hygiene and air quality specialists at CTSI provide building assessments, air quality testing, monitoring, and consulting services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to biological and chemical asthma triggers, allergens, and respiratory irritants.”

Last year, CTSI sponsored an educational video about Air Quality Awareness Week that can still be seen at: https://youtu.be/XRzwmVzZspE

To learn more about CTSI’s air quality or other building science, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com, or call (212) 971-7016.

About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered with CTSI’s reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself in utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals’ concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail