The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also issued air quality alerts for parts of the state, with Gov. Phil Murphy warning that wildfire smoke from eastern Canada was “affecting much of the state,” with conditions expected to continue through Wednesday.
“If you are in a sensitive group, consider staying indoors or limit your outside exposure,” the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said.
New York City continued to rank second and Detroit fourth among major cities for the worst air quality worldwide as of around 4:30 a.m. E.T., according to IQAir, a Swiss air monitoring company.
New York City Public Schools said late Tuesday that all of its schools would cancel outdoor activities over air quality concerns.
Major sporting events did still take place, with a seemingly endless cloud of smoke blanketing Yankee Stadium in the Bronx during Tuesday’s game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox.
On Owasco Lake, the third easternmost and 6th largest of the Finger Lakes, fishermen could be seen out on the water surrounded by a smoky haze, undeterred by the poor air quality conditions.
New York was not alone in suffering from the air pollution.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also issued an air quality alert for parts of the state, with Gov. Phil Murphy warning that wildfire smoke from eastern Canada was “affecting much of the state,” with conditions expected to continue through Wednesday.
“If you are in a sensitive group, consider staying indoors or limit your outside exposure,” the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said.
Air pollution from wildfire smoke has become a growing health risk in the U.S., with Stanford University researchers finding that the number of people who experienced at least one day with unhealthy air quality because of smoke rose by 27 times over the last decade.
Small particles in smoke less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter are particularly concerning to air quality researchers.
Exposure to this pollution can cause inflammation and weaken the immune system, particularly if the tiny particles penetrate the lungs and enter the blood stream.
Particulate pollution can also increase the risk of asthma, lung cancer or other chronic lung diseases, particularly in vulnerable groups like older people, pregnant people, infants and children.
Experts have advised checking air quality alerts regularly, with AirNow.gov, the EPA’s website, allowing residents to track air quality by entering their ZIP codes. Many smartphones have apps that also track air quality.
It’s also important to consider pets, such as cats and dogs, who may also be affected by the air quality, with experts advising they should be kept indoors as much as possible while air quality alerts are in effect.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
