WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE AIR QUALITY IN THE NORTHEAST U.S. TODAY?

New York residents woke up to a bit of a shock outside their windows today, as a thick haze of smoke from wildfires raging across Canada enveloped much of the East Coast, impacting about 90 million people. As of early on Wednesday morning, New York City had the second-worst air quality and pollution in the world (second only to Delhi, India); below, get all the details on what's going on and how to take steps to protect yourself if you're in the area.

What precautions have been taken to mitigate the effects of the East Coast's poor air quality?

The state of New Jersey has upgraded its air quality alert to “unhealthy,” with Governor Phil Murphy urging residents to stay indoors. In New York City and Washington D.C., all outdoor activities for public school students have been canceled (although classes will continue as scheduled). New York Mayor Eric Adams echoed Murphy's advice in a statement on Wednesday, calling the poor air quality "an unprecedented event in our city" and adding: "At the moment, we recommend vulnerable New Yorkers stay inside, and all New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible. This is not the day to train for a marathon or to do an outside event with your children."

What kind of health effects can the poor air quality have?

The amount of particulate matter—which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), can be made up of dust, dirt, soot, smoke, or a mix of all of the above—in the air was measured at 14.5 times the World Health Organization (WHO)'s  air quality guideline value, which is concerning because those particles are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs and thus enter the body's bloodstream. The poor air quality being seen in the Northeast U.S. can cause breathing problems for anyone, but children, older adults, pregnant people, and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions are at particular risk.

How are people being encouraged to protect themselves?

The American Lung Association's recommendations for protecting yourself from the potential harmful effects of particulate matter in the air include staying indoors as much as possible, wearing a high-quality KN95 mask when it's necessary to be outside, avoiding exercising or doing any strenuous activity outdoors, using air conditioners on the recirculation setting to avoid pulling outside air indoors, and using air clearing devices with HEPA filters when possible.

How long is the poor air quality expected to last?

"Air quality conditions are anticipated to temporarily improve later tonight through tomorrow morning, but they are expected to deteriorate further tomorrow afternoon and evening," Adams said in his Wednesday statement, pointing to climate change as a major driver for this kind of weather event. The poor air quality is expected to continue at least until a pattern change takes place this weekend.

2023-06-07T17:59:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd