An #AirQuality alert for much of #Minnesota remained in effect through noon on Wednesday, acc/to the Minnesota #Pollution Control Agency. The alert for some areas was expected to reach the red category, which signals it can be dangerous for everyone, the agency said.

#ClimateCrisis #Climate #air #pollution #PublicHealth #wildlife #RespiratoryIllnesses

In #Iowa, an #AirQuality alert issued by the state’s Dept of Natural Resources was expected to remain in effect through Thursday morning, acc/to the Weather Service. #Air #pollution was expected to remain at #unhealthy levels for sensitive groups, & possibly healthy people too, w/residents advised to limit outdoor activities until the air quality improves.

#ClimateCrisis #Climate #air #pollution #PublicHealth #wildlife #RespiratoryIllnesses

Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center, said satellite imagery shows a broad swath of #smoke still covering the eastern US on Wednesday. The smoke stretches from northern #Georgia to #NewEngland & into the Upper #Midwest.

#AirQuality readings in cities including #Minneapolis, #StPaul & #Columbus, #Ohio, were at “very unhealthy” levels… acc/to the NYT air quality tracker.

#ClimateCrisis #Climate #air #pollution #PublicHealth #RespiratoryIllnesses
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/04/weather/air-quality-wildfire-smoke-sahara-dust.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=p&pvid=4A04536C-B093-4F24-A406-EC910D453D31

People can protect themselves by staying indoors or by wearing #N95masks, she said. Strykowski added that they must be N95s because the cloth #masks many people used during the COVID-19 pandemic don’t provide enough #filtration.

[My additional advice: be sure to always carry your rescue #inhaler!! If you can use an allergy #filter on your HVAC system. Close your windows & use an indoor air filter machine.]

#ClimateCrisis #Climate #air #pollution #PublicHealth #wildlife #RespiratoryIllnesses

Dr. Rachel Strykowski, a #pulmonologist, said the poor #AirQuality increases #respiratory symptoms aggravated by the dirty #air. Typical symptoms include increase in shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, & flares of underlying #disease such as #COPD & #asthma.

The fine particulate matter from the #wildfire #smoke triggers more inflammation in patients’ airways, aggravating underlying #medical conditions.

#ClimateCrisis #Climate #air #pollution #PublicHealth #wildlife #RespiratoryIllnesses

#Smoke from #wildfires in #Canada carried another day of poor #AirQuality south of the border to the #Midwest, where conditions in parts of #Minnesota, #Wisconsin & #Michigan were rated “very unhealthy” Tuesday.

The fires have forced more than 27,000 Canadians in three provinces to flee their homes, & the smoke has even reached #Europe.

#ClimateCrisis #Climate #air #pollution #PublicHealth #wildlife #RespiratoryIllnesses