New Yorkers are being urged to remain indoors, conserve energy and limit outdoor fires because of the state’s worsening air quality.
On Tuesday afternoon, officials warned that the dangerous conditions can result in shortness of breath and irritated eyes, and can even worsen asthma and heart disease in more severe cases. They began last week with wildfires in New Jersey and Canada and have worsened as the Canadian fires persist.
“It’s no secret that New York is facing extraordinary air quality conditions right now,” Basil Seggos, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said during a press conference on Tuesday. “Most New Yorkers – all New Yorkers – have seen the conditions out in the field today: The sky is hazy, visibility is terrible and you can smell the smoke in the air.”
Contaminated air comes with living in metropolitan areas like New York City, although the overall presence of harmful pollutants is currently declining. But a recent period of unhealthy air statewide caused by wildfires, including one in Nova Scotia last week, is compounding what urbanites experience daily. This contaminated air contains particulate matter, which can result in a host of health issues. At the end of last week, there was also a spike in ground-level ozone, a dangerous chemical produced in hot, humid weather.
On Tuesday, the city surpassed the aggravating air quality that it had experienced right after Memorial Day. The concentration of particulate matter in the city air peaked in the morning, reaching nearly double the levels caused by the Nova Scotia fires. In the state’s capital, the air quality index reached 135, Seggos said, which is considered a level of concern for sensitive groups with pre-existing conditions like asthma. As of 3 p.m., the AQI in New York City reached above 150 — constituting an unhealthy risk for more members of the general public.
The DEC’s air quality health advisory now covers most of the state, Seggos said.
The advisory states that children, the elderly and those with existing heart and breathing problems can be especially at risk.
The particulate matter is particularly pervasive because it “can also penetrate pretty deeply into our lungs, and make it harder for our whole respiratory tract to work and effectively bring in oxygen,” said Gary Ginsberg, who leads the state health department's Center for Environmental Health. “It makes the work of the heart more difficult.”
In a statement following the press conference, James McDonald, the acting state health commissioner, reiterated the health concerns.
“Those who experience symptoms or have symptoms that worsen should consider consulting their personal physician,” he said.
With Canada still at the beginning of its wildfire season, officials expect the difficult conditions to persist. New Jersey wildfires have also contributed to poorer air in recent weeks. Ginsberg said there isn’t enough data to show what the long-term effects of exposure to this kind of air pollution on residents.
“We can’t rule out long-term adverse health effects from inhaling any kind of smoke over the course of hours to days,” he continued. “It’s best to be precautious.”
