More than 80 million people from the Midwest to the East Coast are on alert for poor air quality as smoke from Canadian wildfires crosses the US border, CNN reports. This harmful air quality is leading to beach closures, reduced visibility warnings and requests to stay indoors.
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Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record. Hundreds of wildfires are raging across the country – more than 200 are “out of control”.
Those wildfires resulted in the highest emissions ever recorded in the country, according to a report released Tuesday by Copernicus, a division of the European Union’s space program.
As smoke rolls across the United States, air quality warnings have been issued for all states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Delaware and Maryland, and parts of Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. Residents are advised to stay indoors with the air conditioning on or wear N95 masks in some areas if they must be outside.
AFP
Chicago and Detroit had the world’s worst air quality for hours Tuesday night, with Detroit air at times hitting a “very unhealthy” air quality index of 205, according to IQAir. Chicago recorded an air quality index of 174 Tuesday night and was 168 around 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, city skylines could be seen shrouded in smoke and white haze covered streets and neighborhoods.
“I can feel a burning sensation in my throat,” Dalya Khuder, who was visiting Detroit, told CNN affiliate WXYZ. “The air quality is really bad and I don’t want that in my lungs.”
Chicago has asked all residents — especially those with heart or lung conditions, the elderly, pregnant women and young children — to avoid outdoor activities and protect themselves from exposure. Chicago public schools and camps are also moving their operations indoors, city officials said in a release.
About 12 miles away, Evanston, Illinois, is closing all swimming beaches and canceling a concert Tuesday due to poor air quality, the city said on Facebook, urging residents to limit outdoor exhibits to Wednesday.
Across the Michigan border, the Mackinac Bridge was shrouded in smoke Tuesday. Due to limited visibility on the bridge, motorists were advised to drive slowly and carefully.
At times, high particulate matter levels in Michigan’s air could become unhealthy or dangerous for all residents — not just sensitive groups, the state health department warned.
“The most protective option if the air is unhealthy for you is to stay indoors with air conditioning, reduce strenuous activities, and limit outdoor activities. If you must be outdoors, N95 masks offer improved protection when used according to product directions,” said the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Smoke from wildfires contains particulate matter, or PM2.5 — a tiny but dangerous pollutant that when inhaled can penetrate deep into lung tissue and disrupt blood flow, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. disease prevention.
Particulate matter has been linked to a range of health problems, including asthma, heart disease and other respiratory diseases.
U.S. cities with air quality warnings tend to be in “Code Orange”—when the air is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups—or “Code Red” when the air is considered unhealthy for the general public.
New York is also expected to see unhealthy smoke levels return in some areas on Wednesday and Thursday — about three weeks after the city topped the list of the world’s worst air pollution levels when smoke turned the sky orange.