This had the effect of drastically reducing pollution within the city center from the fewer vehicle exhausts. Many vehicles were temporarily unused as their drivers were not required to work from the office, instead they were furloughed and allowed to work from home. This figure is quite surprising because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 situation. It worsened in 2020 with a reading of 13.6 µg/m³. A slight improvement followed in the next two years with readings of 8.4 µg/m³ and 5.8 µg/m³, respectively. Historically, records pertaining to air pollution have been kept since 2017 when the WHO target figure was achieved with a figure of 10.0 µg/m³. But overall, the start of the year provided clean air on the whole. The best air quality was recorded in June with a very small reading of just 2.3 µg/m³. For the remaining nine months of the year, Bend achieved the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target figure of 10 µg/m³ or less. The month of August saw “Good” quality air with a figure of 10.6 µg/m³ which falls within the parameters of 10 to 12 µg/m³. Anything between 12.1 and 35.4 µg/m³ can be classified as such. The following month of October saw the air quality produce a figure from the “Moderate” category with a 12.1 µg/m³ reading. With a figure of this magnitude, the classification is generalized as being “Unhealthy” with figures between 55.5 and 150.4 µg/m³ to qualify as such. Looking back at the figures published by for 2020 it can easily be seen that the worst month for air quality was during September when the recorded figure was 99.4 µg/m³. Is the level of pollution in Bend consistent throughout the year? The table that is published at the top of this page should help with that decision or download the AirVisual app for constant updates as to the state of the air in real-time. Avoid exercising outside until the quality improves and if venturing outside is unavoidable, then wearing a good quality face mask is essential. The operation of an air purifier would be beneficial if one is available but ensure it is set to recirculate the air and not draw more dirty air in from outside. With the level of pollution as high as this, the given advice would be to stay indoors and close all doors and windows to prevent the ingress of more polluted air. The World Health Organization (WHO) has a recommended level of 10 µg/m³, so with this figure, it can be seen that the PM2.5 level is currently over six times that. For Bend, only PM2.5 was recorded which was 65.6 µg/m³. If data is unavailable for all 6 pollutants, a figure can still be calculated by using what figures there are. It can be used as a standard when comparing air quality in other cities around the world. This United States Air Quality Index number is calculated using the levels of six of the most prolific air pollutants, generally thought of as being nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide and both sizes of particulate matter, being PM2.5 and PM10. In August 2021, Bend was experiencing a period of air quality that was classified as being “Unhealthy” with a US AQI reading of 156. This made it the 5th largest metro area in all of Oregon. However, in 2019, the estimated population was closer to 197,500 people. According to a 2010 census, Bend had a population of approximately 77,000 people, which was an increase of 25,000 over the 2000 figure. What is the present level of air pollution in Bend city, Oregon?īend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon.
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