It is not something that is common where I live in Florida but yesterday there was an air quality alert due to a cloud of Canadian wildfire smoke that drifted down my way. The smoke originated in British Columbia and Alberta. It traveled thousands of miles to Eastern Canada by circulating winds and then was dragged southward by the remnants of Ophelia, as the storm petered out in the Atlantic Ocean.
Wildfire smoke is just one of many environmental factors that impact outdoor air quality, and indoor air quality (IAQ) as well.
IAQ was on my mind recently when the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America released its report on the most challenging places to live in the U.S. with asthma. Asthma can be exacerbated by a long list of things that are common in a hotel environment: high levels of humidity, mold, cleaning products, scenting, dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander (pet-friendly hotels), off gassing, pollen, and cigarette smoke.
Every hotelier in the U.S. should be mindful of all that impacts IAQ, as more than 27 million Americans have asthma.
Curious about where asthma conditions are worst in the U.S.? According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the top 10 worst cities include:
1. Allentown, Pa.
2. Lakeland, Fla.
3. Charleston, S.C.
4. Cleveland, Ohio
5. Detroit
6. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
7. Richmond, Va.
8. Philadelphia
9. Fresno, Calif.
10. Rochester, N.Y.
The foundation’s list goes from 1 through 100. To access the list and the foundation’s recent report, click here.
