Chicago Registers ‘Worst Air Quality in World’ Amid Canada Wildfires; Experts Warn of Health Implications

A jogger runs along the shoreline of Lake Michigan with heavy smoke from the Canadian wildfires in the background in Chicago, Ill., on June 27, 2023. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)

Chicago recorded the worst air quality in the world on June 27, triggered by continuing Canadian wildfires, and officials are warning about the health implications posed by the concerning air quality across the U.S. Midwest.

The Air Quality Index in Chicago reached 195 on June 27, according to Swiss air technology company IQAir. Detroit was second at 171, according to IQAir.

Such readings are considered unhealthy and could lead to some adverse health effects, particularly among sensitive groups, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The National Weather Service urged Chicago residents to consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities, particularly if they have chronic respiratory issues.

Poor air quality warnings remain in place until June 28 for all of northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana. A string of other states, including parts of Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin were also covered by the alerts.

Dr. Jordan Moskoff, the Medical Director of the Adult Emergency Services Department at Cook County Hospital warned of the health implications associated with the declining air quality.

“Your bronchioles, the tubes that lead down to your lungs are going to be more inflamed. And that’s going to make them feel like they’re closing off a bit,” Moskoff told ABC News Chicago.

Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement urging Chicagoans to consider wearing masks and using air purifiers, while closing windows.

Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Brian Urbaszewski, the director of environmental health programs for the Respiratory Health Association, said that fine particulate matter known as PM2.5 is the biggest reason behind the air quality warnings.

A controlled burn is seen on the edge of a wildfire numbered 334 near Mistissini, Que., in a June 6, 2023, handout photo. (The Canadian Press/Ho-Sopfeu, Genevieve Poirier)

‘We’re in the Crosshairs’

“It is a function of where the fires are, where the weather systems are, and where the winds are blowing all that smoke in,” Urbaszewski said. “We’re in the crosshairs.”

PM2.5 describes the mixture of microscopic solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. As the droplets are so small, they can be inhaled, causing serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into the lungs and potentially the bloodstream.

Particulate matter can be emitted from various sources such as construction sites, power plants, industries and automobiles, and smokestacks or fires. They are also the main driver of reduced visibility or haze in parts of the United States, according to the EPA.

Elsewhere, Zac Adelman, executive director of the Lake Michigan Air Directors Consortium noted that while it is common to see smoke in the atmosphere, it is unusual to see “high concentrations of smoke coming down to the surface like we’re experiencing it now.”

“We’ll be looking at this event for a long time to figure out, you know, what the particular dynamics and chemistry were that caused the smoke to come down to the surface here,” he told the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, AirNow—which works in partnership with multiple agencies including the EPA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as well as tribal, state, and local air quality agencies to aggregate air quality data—placed the air quality index for Chicago even higher at 218 as of early morning Wednesday.

The U.S. Capitol building is under a haze of smoke caused by the ongoing wildfires in Canada in Washington on the morning of June 8, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Canadian Wildfires Continue to Rage

AirNow is urging individuals with underlying health conditions such as heart or lung disease, as well as older adults, children, and teenagers to avoid physical activities outdoors.

Other individuals should also limit outdoor activities and consider moving them indoors, according to the website.

Chicago wasn’t the only state to experience air quality concerns on Tuesday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Tuesday issued its 23rd air quality alert of the year, marking a record high, as layers of thick smoke from the Candian wildfires covered southern and eastern parts of the state.

Meanwhile, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy also issued an air quality alert for the entire state.

According to AirNow, Detroit and Minneapolis joined Chicago in the top three cities to have the worst air pollution levels of any major city across the globe on Tuesday.

Air quality alerts also remain in place for all of southeast Michigan for Wednesday.

Wildfire season typically begins in Canada in May but this year, fires broke out in British Columbia and Alberta in late April following record-breaking hot and dry weather.

Approximately 483 fires are still active across the country as of June 27, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), of which 252 have been dubbed “out of control.”

A total of 7.9 million hectares of land have been burned by the fires so far, according to CIFFC.

Strong winds also carried smoke from the fires as far as Portugal and Spain this week and are expected to continue doing so until later this week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.