Depositphotos
Toxic air is forcing people inside
Stepping outside felt risky in parts of West Texas and New Mexico, where blowing dust pushed air quality into unhealthy levels, and officials urged people to limit time outdoors amid toxic air spreading.
Concerns grew, becoming a real warning across parts of Texas and New Mexico. AirNow and state officials showed dangerous air quality in far West Texas and nearby areas as dust and fine particles pushed conditions into unhealthy territory.
The biggest concern was particulate pollution, especially PM10 and PM2.5, which can get deep into the lungs. That turned an ordinary windy day into a public health problem.
davidtran07/Depositphotos
Border cities saw the worst readings
Some of the most concerning conditions were expected near El Paso, where forecasters said dust could push daily PM10 levels into the lower end of the Unhealthy range…