New York City tops world’s worst air pollution list from Canada wildfire smoke

New York’s air pollution ranked as the worst of any city in the world on Wednesday as wildfire smoke from Canada continued to drift over the area, creating a second day of orange haze over the city and prompting some residents to wear face masks. face outdoors.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the city had reached an AQI of 342, a level considered “dangerous” for all residents.

Schools in the city are open, but there are no outdoor activities as air quality is expected to deteriorate throughout the day. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded some flights to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday because of the smoke. Visibility was also causing delays at Newark Liberty International Airport.

City officials advised residents to limit outdoor activities on Wednesday and warned that children, the elderly and people with pre-existing respiratory problems were particularly vulnerable.

Forest fire smoke releases fine particulate matter called PM2.5, which enter the lungs and cause health problems such as asthma and bronchitis. The concentration of PM2.5 in New York City is currently 15 times the World Health Organization’s annual recommended value for air quality.

The New York State Department of Environmental Protection has issued air quality health advisories for all five boroughs. City officials said they expected advisories to remain in place for the next few days, but added that smoky conditions are particularly difficult to forecast.

New York also extended its air quality health advisory until Thursday.

Mayor Eric Adams at a press briefing Wednesday urged vulnerable residents to stay indoors and said hazardous air quality conditions were expected to temporarily improve later tonight through Thursday morning but continue to worsen Thursday afternoon and the evening.

“This is probably the first time we’ve experienced anything like this on this scale,” Adams said. “Climate change is accelerating these conditions. We must continue to reduce emissions and improve air quality and build resilience.”

Canada is on track for its worst wildfire season ever, with more than 400 wildfires currently burning in nearly every Canadian province and territory. Federal officials said last week that the wildfires have burned more than 6.7 million acres and about 26,000 people are under evacuation orders.

Smoke from Canada’s wildfires has drifted south and prompted air pollution warnings across the country.

Millions of people in the Midwest are experiencing hazardous air quality conditions, with air quality advisories in effect for southeastern Minnesota, parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and areas in Wisconsin. Air quality alerts have also been issued for most of New England.

The National Weather Service said in a forecast that the smoke was expected to linger into Wednesday and continue to travel further west.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of global wildfires, and air pollution from wildfire smoke is also worsening. Last year, Stanford researchers found that millions of Americans are routinely exposed to wildfire smoke pollution at levels rarely seen just a decade ago.