An air quality alert for the Chicago area was extended for a second time as smoke from Canadian wildfires lingers overhead Saturday.
The National Weather Service extended an air quality alert for Chicago through Sunday night, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Wildfire smoke blanketed the region Thursday, making Chicago’s air quality among the worst in the world, according to IQAir. The NWS issued alerts for both Illinois and Indiana.
In Illinois, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a “red forecast air pollution action day” on Friday, saying, “Everyone should reduce prolonged activities or heavy exertion outdoors.”
The EPA’s alert was at first extended until Saturday at midnight, but lingering smoke full of harmful pollutants triggered a second extension through Sunday night around 1 p.m. Saturday.
“People with respiratory diseases such as asthma should limit prolonged outdoor exposure,” the government agency said. The NWS also recommended the following:
- Walking, biking, carpooling or using public transportation
- Avoiding the drive-thru
- Combining errands into one trip
- Avoiding refueling your vehicle after 7 p.m.
- Turning off your engine when idle for more than 30 seconds
- Turning off lights to conserve energer
- Setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or above
Some of the Chicago area saw slightly better air quality levels Saturday morning and into the early afternoon compared to previous days.
The AQI in much of Illinois, including Aurora, Elgin, Chicago, Joliet and Lake County, fell into the “moderate” category as of 1 p.m. Saturday. However, those areas are all expected to move into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category as air quality worsens throughout Saturday afternoon and into Sunday, according to AirNow.
According to AirNow, PM2.5, an air pollutant also known as fine particulate matter, is causing much of the haze in the region. Anything over 200 is considered “very unhealthy.”
Air quality in the “unhealthy” category impacts both sensitive groups and the general public, with all people in the area asked to shorten the amount of time spent outdoors.
What is the Air Quality Index?
According to officials, the Air Quality Index, or the AQI, is used by the Environmental Protection Agency to communicate to the public air quality levels, and how they can impact day-to-day life.
There are six different levels of air quality, and they’re all color-coded to illustrate changes in quality and how they impact residents.
Typically, anything above 100 is considered to be hazardous to at least some groups, and anything over 150 is considered to be “unhealthy,” posing issues to the general public.
How to find the AQI near you
AirNow provides a tool for residents to search their ZIP code to see what their forecasted air quality is, both in real time and for the days ahead.
For a more granular look, the website also offers information on different measurement stations around the area in real-time, allowing residents to track air quality in areas near their homes.
Air Quality Index map: Track the air quality near you
A real-time, interactive map of air quality from AirNow.gov can be found below:
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from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/H8Of7U3
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