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Detroit has logged one of the worst air qualities of any city in the world, surpassing other international urban hubs as pollution levels spike due to wildfires across the border in Canada.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has continued to drift over the Midwest, blanketing the region with haze and poor air quality, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue alerts across several states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
Newsweek reached out to the National Weather Service via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The increased concentration of airborne fine particulate matter, PM2.5, from wildfires can worsen respiratory and heart conditions, making sensitive groups particularly vulnerable, especially people with asthma, heart disease or other preexisting respiratory conditions.
Air quality alerts have been in place for a couple of days, with individual National Weather Service offices previously reporting unhealthy conditions. Earlier this week, wildfire smoke from Canada was so thick over Chicago that the city recorded the worst air quality in the world.
The Detroit skyline as seen from Sunset Point on March 24, 2020.
The Detroit skyline as seen from Sunset Point on March 24, 2020.
Getty Images
What To Know
On the World Quality Air Index, which measures global pollution, Detroit saw a sharp spike as ash and other particulates drifted over the border from Canada.
At the time of writing, Detroit ranks third in the entire world, behind Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Toronto, which is also being affected by the Canadian wildfires.
The current rankings indicate that Detroit is more polluted than Kolkata, one of India’s largest cities, and every other city in the United States.
The Air Index assigned Detroit an air quality score of 155, making it one of only five cities in the world currently considered “unhealthy” to be in.
Across the eight affected states, the NWS warned that when pollution levels are elevated, people should “consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects.”
In addition to limiting outdoor physical activity, the agency has urged people and businesses to “avoid activities which lead to ozone formation,” listing out activities like refueling vehicles or using gasoline-powered lawn equipment.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy said that “high pressure settling overhead will limit dispersion and keep smoke at the surface through today.”
What People Are Saying
Matt Taraldsen, a meteorologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, told The New York Times earlier this week: “This is the first time that we’ve had a weeklong worth of alerts across the entire state. Especially at levels that weren’t just unhealthy for sensitive groups, at levels that are unhealthy for everyone.”
AccuWeather wrote in a Friday X post: “Wildfire smoke from Canada smothered Chicago yesterday, giving the city the worst air quality in the world for several hours and blanketing the skyline in haze.”
What Happens Next
The smoke is expected to continue to impact the region throughout the weekend, with some alerts until Saturday afternoon and others until Monday.
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