US Marine One flies over foggy Chicago, Illinois on June 28, 2023. About 80 million people are under air quality alerts from the U.S. Midwest to the East Coast due to wildfire smoke in Canada. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
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[Look at China News, June 29, 2023]CanadaSmoke from wildfires continues to flow into the United States from northern Ontario and Quebec, threatening the health of millions of Americans. Air quality alerts have been issued in many places.
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U.S.The National Weather Service said Wednesday that a large swath of the Midwest, from western Iowa through Illinois and Wisconsin to Michigan, was under an air quality alert. Air quality alerts were also issued for parts of western New York and Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and parts of North Carolina.
UAE’s Dubai topped the list with a score of 411 as of Wednesday morningair quality“Dangerous” cities topped the list. Detroit came in second, followed by Chicago and Toronto, Canada, in fourth.
Chicago Mayor Johnson urged Chicagoans to consider wearing masks and using air purifiers while keeping windows closed.
Experts warn Chicago in CanadawildfireThe “worst air quality in the world” appears in the United States, causing health impacts.
Brian Urbaszewski, director of the Environmental Health Program at the Chicago Respiratory Health Association, told the Chicago Tribune that fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, is the biggest reason behind the air quality warnings. “It depends on where the fire is, the weather system and where the wind is blowing the smoke. We’re in the crosshairs,” Bran said. PM2.5 refers to the mixture of tiny solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. Because the droplets are so small, they can be inhaled, causing serious health problems. Some particles smaller than 10 microns in diameter can travel deep into the lungs and possibly even into the bloodstream.
U.S. authorities are urging the elderly, children, and those with respiratory illnesses to limit the time and intensity of physical activity, stay indoors or wear masks as much as possible.
Canada’s wildfire season typically begins in May, but this year, fires broke out in late April after record hot and dry weather in British Columbia and Alberta, burning 7.9 million hectares so far. Strong winds have also brought smoke to Portugal and Spain this week.
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality warning for large swaths of Ontario and Quebec, saying the smog has caused severe air pollution. The agency said areas affected by the smoke include the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton, Windsor, Barrie and London, Ont., and much of northern Quebec, but air quality is expected to improve in some areas Thursday night.
There were 487 fires burning across the country Wednesday morning, 253 of which were listed as out of control, according to the website of Canada’s interagency Forest Fire Centre. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 66 fires burning in northern Ontario and 76 in Quebec as of Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, AirNow, the U.S. government pollution-tracking website, is working with multiple agencies, including the EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and tribal, state, and local air quality agencies to aggregate air quality data.
Chicago’s air quality index was even higher at 218 as of early Wednesday morning. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency also issued its 23rd air quality alert of the year on Tuesday, a record high, as layers of smoke from the Candy Mountain wildfire blanketed the southern and eastern parts of the state. The Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy also issued an air quality alert for the state.
The Air Quality Health Index in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, shows a high risk. Authorities urged residents to limit outdoor activities.
Source: Watch China
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2023-06-28 22:47:00
