00:00Eight major U.S. cities are now under elevated air quality alerts this week.
00:04And the EPA says millions of Americans may be facing real, immediate cardiovascular danger.
00:10Phoenix, Los Angeles, Houston, Bakersfield, Salt Lake City, Denver, Pittsburgh, and parts of New York City
00:18are showing fine particulate pollution levels above federal safety thresholds.
00:23Researchers have repeatedly linked short-term exposure to high PM 2.5 levels with sharp increases in heart attacks,
00:31strokes, and emergency room visits, even among healthy adults.
00:36Wildfires, vehicle emissions, and industrial activity are all contributing factors.
00:41Spring temperature inversions trap pollution close to the ground for days at a time.
00:45Most at risk, people with asthma, heart disease, or COPD, older adults, pregnant women, and young children.
00:53If you live in any of these eight cities, doctors recommend keeping windows closed during peak pollution hours,
01:00running an indoor HEPA air filter if you have one, and avoiding outdoor exercise on red alert days.
01:06Toxic air doesn't always look like smoke.
01:09Sometimes the most dangerous days look completely clear.
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