And the National Weather Service has advised Americans on the country’s east coast to monitor local air quality before spending time outdoors, as air quality has declined in most northern areas. -is as smoke from wildfires in Canada moved south.
An estimated 55 million Americans breathe polluted air due to smoke from Canadian fires.
Researchers are concerned that small smoke particles called “PM2.5” could cause respiratory damage to people, because despite their small size, they can damage the airways.
These particles come from sources such as burning fossil fuels, dust storms and wildfires, and have been linked to a number of health problems such as asthma, heart disease and other respiratory conditions. .
Air quality and visibility can fluctuate due to wildfire smoke over short distances and can vary significantly from hour to hour, officials said in a statement.
Some city officials have also pointed out to their residents that if they smell smoke and see some sort of haze on the horizon, it means they are exposed to pollution.
New York state received the biggest share of air quality warnings, with the mayor of New York advising residents not to go outside unless absolutely necessary.
So far, 10 school districts across the state have canceled outdoor activities and gatherings for their schools, including outdoor recess and sports classes.
New York Mayor Eric Adams expected air quality to improve slightly by Wednesday morning, but it deteriorated further, according to satellite images showing thick smoke blanketing New York and much of the northeast.
Adams said New Yorkers should limit outdoor activities, noting that children, the elderly and people with heart or respiratory conditions may be vulnerable to problems and are advised to avoid going outside.
New York City topped the index for the world’s worst air pollution on Tuesday, according to Swiss firm IQAIR, after the air quality index topped 200 points, which is a very unhealthy level, as it is 10 times more than the fixed rate. by the World Health Organization.
Detroit, Michigan, was included in the top 10 worst places for air pollution on Tuesday afternoon, while air quality in Chicago, Illinois remained moderate and is expected to remain so for the next two days.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the level of particulate air pollution, which includes a mixture of solids and liquid droplets.
Experts expect conditions around New York to improve by Thursday evening, but worsen in western New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia as the winds change.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was quick to say that these fires and the smoke they caused are a warning of nature and the work that needs to be done to prevent the consequences of climate change. .
The sharp increase in air pollution comes after around 414 wildfires broke out in the provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia, Canada, more than half of which were considered out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
According to statistics, more than 150 fires are still burning in Quebec this week, more than double the number of fires burning in any other Canadian province.
To witness in Canada, one of the worst starts of the wildfire season, having lost more than 6.7 million acres so far and forced around 14,000 people to evacuate their homes and areas.
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