Smoke from the wildfires in Canada is posing a health threat to New Yorkers all around the state today. The U.S. Air Quality Index forecast for today, June 8, 2023, is dangerous in many regions of the state.

Sanjay Sethi, MD, division chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at UBMD Internal Medicine and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, explains the Air Quality Index,

Wildfires affect air quality by adding particulate matter, ozone and other gases into the air, all of which make air quality worse. The Air Quality Index (AQI) takes into account all these pollutants, and if it exceeds 100, short term health effects are likely and precautions need to be taken.

Central New York Region
160 PM2.5
Unhealthy

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Eastern Lake Ontario Region
101 PM2.5
USG

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Long Island
160 PM2.5
Unhealthy

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Lower Hudson Valley Region
140 PM2.5
USG

Upper Hudson Valley Region
130 PM2.5
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New York City Region
170 PM2.5
Unhealthy

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Western New York Region
160 PM2.5
Unhealthy

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Dr. Sethi warns,

The poor air quality can cause inflammation in the airways and can increase the chance of getting a respiratory infection.

 

Though this can happen with everyone, the biggest concern is for people with respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD, as they already have inflammation in the airways and are more prone to respiratory infections.

 

There is some evidence that poor air quality like this may increase the risk of cardiovascular events, too, so individuals with heart disease also need to be careful.

Residents in the areas above should stay indoors if possible and avoid activities and working outdoors.

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