The air quality across portions of Wisconsin has been labeled "very unhealthy" and "hazardous" and is among the worst in the nation due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued a statewide air quality advisory until Thursday because of the smoke, which for weeks has been impacting the daily lives of millions of people across thousands of miles. The DNR said the most significant health impacts in the state are anticipated between Tuesday afternoon and noon Wednesday.
The website IQAir.com, which tracks air quality across the world, listed Milwaukee as having the second-worst air quality in the nation Tuesday morning. Brookfield, a suburb of the city, had the worst air quality in the nation Tuesday afternoon, according to that website.
"Milwaukee is currently experiencing some of the highest levels of air pollution not just in the U.S., but across the globe right now," said Craig Czarnecki, outreach coordinator for the DNR’s air management program, during a media briefing Tuesday.
Czarnecki said the majority of the state is experiencing "unhealthy" air quality, while some counties in southeast Wisconsin are experiencing "very unhealthy" air quality levels.
Tuesday afternoon, Waukesha County had an Air Quality Index of 323, while Milwaukee County was at 211. The higher that number, the more dangerous conditions are. The United States Environmental Protection Agency says an Air Quality Index of 101 to 150 can be unhealthy for those with some health conditions, 151 to 200 is unhealthy for the general public, while 201 to 300 is "very unhealthy" for everyone. Anything above 300 is "hazardous."
"This is a dynamic situation, and conditions may change rapidly over the next few days," the DNR stated. "It is important to pay close attention to the air quality in your area and take action, especially if you don’t feel well."
Source: wpr.org
Photo Credit: pexels-islandhopper-x
Categories: Wisconsin, Sustainable Agriculture, Weather