An air quality advisory issued Thursday afternoon was continued this morning.
The advisory was issued because of high levels of fine particulate air pollution due mainly to road dust, said the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Northern Health.
Other contributors are emissions from industry, and transportation sources such as automobiles, trucks and rail traffic.
An upper high pressure ridge has brought stagnant conditions over the region resulting in pollutants accumulating in the air shed. This ridge will slowly move eastward in the next 24-hours.
This episode is expected to continue at least until Saturday morning.
Tips to reduce your personal health risk include avoiding roads with heavy vehicle traffic, staying inside and running an air cleaner in your home.
Fine particulates - dry or liquid microscopic particles - are considered a health risk because they can penetrate deep into the lungs. The fine particulates have been linked to heart and lung disease, and conditions like asthma.
Due to the air advisory, the City of Prince George is offering free transit starting today until midnight of the day the advisory ends.
Beginning today, all transit buses will switch their digital signs to a display stating, Free Fare for Clean Air, and will cover the fare boxes so passengers will not be able to deposit money.
