Haze over Edmonton to last a few more days: Environment Canada forecast

Poor air quality in the Edmonton region will last throughout the week, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) expects. 

On Tuesday, the capital city's air quality health index (AQHI) rose to a level seven, where it is forecasted to sit through Wednesday. 

Risk is considered high at level seven and can cause coughing, throat irritation, headaches and shortness of breath, officials say. 

According to an ECCC operational meteorologist, the haze is the result of a temperature inversion, a fairly common winter phenomenon where warm air settles over cool air – a reversal of normal conditions. 

Inversions trap low-level pollutants at the earth's surface. 

"It's going to continue throughout the week," ECCC's Janelle Gergely told CTV News Edmonton on Monday. 

"We're watching a system potentially come in on the weekend and that could help flush out those low-level pollutants and we could see an increase in air quality then." 

STAY INDOORS: ADVICE 

A children's lung doctor at the University of Alberta Hospital said everyone is at increased risk when levels of air pollution are higher, but especially children, seniors and pregnant women, people with heart and lung disease, houseless Edmontonians, and outdoor workers. 

The Alberta Lung Association estimates one in five Canadians suffer from a lung disease. 

For them, air pollution can trigger asthma or COPD attacks. 

"If the air quality is bad enough, you should try to plan for your activities to be mainly indoors," Dr. Anne Hicks told CTV News Edmonton. 

"For people who experience homelessness, it's a lot more difficult, but again, if there's a place where they can take refuge from poor air quality, that would be important for increasing their health and wellbeing. And for outdoor workers, trying to build more of whatever they're trying to do indoors or decrease the heaviness of their work so they're not breathing as hard might be protective as well.

"And for just regular people who don't have any underlying health conditions, limiting the amount of vigorous physical exercise you do outdoors during poor air quality periods and focusing on indoor exercise or maybe making it into one of strength days instead of a cardio day could be helpful." 

More guidance from the ECCC and Alberta Lung Association is available online. 

Hicks recommends those at higher risk regularly check their air quality or use an app for push notifications. 

She added, "A temperature inversion is a perfect time to understand how much air pollution we contribute to with our different activities. So it's also a great moment for everybody to think about climate change." 

TRAVEL DELAYS

The foggy conditions also interrupted operations at the Edmonton International Airport (EIA).

An airport representative told CTV News Edmonton the low-lying fog and low visibility was affecting arriving and departing flights on Tuesday, with some being diverted to Calgary.

As of 3 p.m., around 60 flights had been delayed, 16 were cancelled and just one scheduled flight had landed at EIA.

Airport officials tweeted that operations had returned to normal around 2 p.m. However, as of 6 p.m., many flights remained delayed or cancelled according to the airport's website.

With the haze expected to continue over the week, travellers are advised to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.

With files from CTV Edmonton's Dave Ewask, Geoff Hastings and Matt Woodman