New York City’s air pollution among the world’s worst

The National Weather Service on Tuesday revealed that the New York City currently has the worst air quality than any major city across the world due to Canada fires.

The ratings for air quality levels reached 173 US AQI (at 11:30 AM IST) which is considered unhealthy for all people and significantly above exposure as according to the World Health Organisation.

New York’s Air Quality Index According to IQAir, New York City on Wednesday morning had the worst levels of air pollution among some of the major cities in the world surpassing New Delhi, India. The other cities who are above New Delhi in terms of AQI are Kuwait City, Detroit, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Baghdad, and Dhaka.

For over a week, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions have been intermittently shrouded in smoke engulfed by fires in Canada The situation is giving rise to concerns about the detrimental effects of prolonged exposure to polluted air. Videos about skies in New York State being filled with dense smoke were circulated on social media alarming the citizens.

What Happened In Canada?

The air quality in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, reached hazardous levels as wildfires continued to ravage western Quebec and northern Ontario. The severity of the situation caused the air quality to exceed the maximum limit on the risk scale, according to Environment Canada. They issued a warning stating that the forest fires might maintain hazardous conditions for human health throughout most of the week.

As a result, the general public was advised to minimise or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities, prioritising their health and well-being especially vulnerable individuals, such as seniors, young children, and pregnant individuals, were strongly urged to avoid engaging in such activities due to the increased risk of severe health issues caused by the pollution.