States across the US Midwest and Northeast were covered with wildfire smoke Monday. That is because Canada’s summer wildfire season is in full burn. Over 700 blazes raged through the forests and grasslands of the US’ northern neighbor on Monday. At least 197 of them were uncontrolled. They sent plumes of smoke rolling across the border. AQI, or Air Quality Index, reports for some US cities were among the worst in the world on Monday. Detroit had the third-most toxic air on Earth. Toronto and Montreal in Canada were also in the top ten. That’s according to air quality monitoring company IQAir. Officials announced air quality alerts Monday in nine states. They included New York, Vermont, and Maine. The Environmental Protection Agency warned that air quality in affected states ranked as either “unhealthy” or “unhealthy for some.” In Buffalo, New York, smoke particles in the air reached an AQI level of 152 (“unhealthy”) on Monday. There, health experts advised people to take caution. “If you have heart or lung problems, then you’ve got to be … more careful,” Dr. Sanjay Sethi told The Associated Press. “I would either avoid going outside or wear an N95 (mask) or at least a dust mask.” Sethi is the chief of lung medicine at the University of Buffalo’s medical school. The CDC notes that even slight exposure to the tiny, toxic particles found in wildfire smoke can be risky. Short-term symptoms can include coughing or stinging eyes. It can also cause headaches and chest pain. Long-term exposure can increase the risk of certain cancers, strokes, and heart attacks.
