Americans Urged to Avoid Driving in 10 States
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Air quality alerts were issued for 10 states across the U.S. on Thursday, with officials in some states advising residents to take actions to reduce air pollution.
Why It Matters
Specialists warn that deteriorating air quality increases health dangers for at-risk populations, such as seniors, children, and individuals with respiratory illnesses
What To Know
At the time of writing, air quality alerts had been issued for parts of 10 states. These included:
Montana
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Indiana
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Virginia
New York
New Jersey
An air quality alert had also been issued for the District of Columbia due to ground level ozone.
In Minnesota, where air quality alerts covered more than half the state, smoke from Canadian wildfires caused levels of fine particles to climb in to "unhealthy for sensitive groups" category, which includes infants and older adults.
"Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible," the alert said.
It also suggested reducing other activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning.
What People Are Saying
AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham previously told Newsweek: "Ozone is a secondary pollutant, meaning it's not emitted directly from sources, but is formed through chemical reactions. These reactions require sunlight and higher temperatures, making warmer months more prone to ozone formation. When air is stagnant, pollutants don't get dispersed, allowing ozone to build up to unhealthy levels.
"Ozone pollution is often more severe in urban areas where there are higher concentrations of pollutants from sources like cars, power plants, and industrial activities."
Professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine Jonathan Grigg, with Queen Mary, University of London told Newsweek previously: "There are vulnerable groups and classically they are children because they've got an extra issue to do with their lungs developing, whereas our lungs are not developing as adults.
"Their trajectory can be deviated so they don't actually achieve their maximum lung function."
There are also "very clear links" between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, Grigg said.
Additionally, Grigg said conditions such as asthma are also exacerbated by exposure to air pollution.
What Happens Next
At the time of writing, the air quality alerts were in effect for Thursday, with the latest set to expire at midnight.
The NWS provides forecast updates on its website regularly.
Forecasters at AccuWeather have predicted that wildfire smoke could impact multiple U.S. states through to August, with areas under the thickest smoke risking additional periods of reduced air quality.
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