The haze of woodstove smoke and car exhaust hovering over the greater Duncan area earlier this week prompted an air-quality advisory.

The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Vancouver Island Health Authority, issued the notice on Wednesday afternoon after fine particulate concentrations exceeded acceptable levels at a Duncan monitoring station.

The advisory was in effect within 15 kilometres of Duncan City Hall.

While a new weather system making its way through the region is helping to clear the air, those with chronic underlying medical conditions are being warned to avoid strenuous outdoor activity until such time as the advisory is removed.

Air quality issues this time of year are the result of increased home heating through woodstoves when the weather gets cold.

Earle Plain, an air quality meteorologist with the Ministry of Environment, said that wood smoke concentrations are expected to be higher during the evening, overnight and early morning hours when people are at home and using their stoves and should improve during the daylight hours.

Staying indoors and in air-conditioned areas during those times should help to limit exposure. Those most at risk are infants and the elderly and those with diabetes, and lung or heart disease.

Real-time air quality information from Duncan and other B.C. communities can be found at www.bcairquality.ca.

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