Hot summer days are getting stuffier for more than 100 million people in the U.S.as wildfire smoke drifts south and imposes dangerous risks to their health.Subscribe to read this story ad-freeGet unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada have created a thick wave of smoke that’s shrouding swaths of the U.S.
from Milwaukee to Washington, D.C., in unhealthy air.As of Thursday, more than 800 wildfires are actively burning across Canada, with large clusters in Ontario near the border with Minnesota.
A heat wave across North America is trapping the unhealthy air and carrying it south.With smoky air comes certain health risks.The Environmental Protection Agency uses a measure called the Air Quality Index to assess how polluted the air is.
Scores of 100 or more (out of 500) mean the air is unhealthy and could harm people’s health.Some U.S.cities — including Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Washington — had ratings of more than 200 and led the world in rankings for worst air quality on Friday, according to data from air pollution monitoring company IQAir.
Parts of Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin had AQI ratings in the 300s on Friday afternoon — levels high enough that experts advise avoiding outdoor activities.In response, public health officials have issued air quality advisories and suspended some government operations.New York launched emergency operations Wednesday, offering free KN95 masks and opening shelter space.
Due to deteriorating air quality, Philadelphia city officials suspended trash pickup and closed public pools Friday.High levels of particle-laden air can exacerbate health concerns for those considered sensitive, including children, pregnant individuals, older adults and those with asthma or heart conditions.Higher levels are dangerous for any who breathe it, and people should be extra careful with wildfire smoke, said Suzanne Paulson, director of the Center for Clean Air at th...