Latest news with #IQAir
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Toronto suffers world's worst air quality as Canada's second-worst wildfire season chokes nation
Toronto is bracing for another summer of dangerous air quality as wildfires continue to rage across northern Ontario, the Prairies, and Western Canada, with doctors warning that the health effects of wildfire smoke are more serious and more widespread than many realize. The worst air quality Toronto recorded the worst air quality in the world in early June, according to global air tracker IQAir, as smoke from more than 183 active wildfires in Ontario drifted south into the city. It's a dramatic increase from the 100 wildfires recorded in the province at this time last year, and experts say it's a troubling sign of what lies ahead. 'We're already seeing much higher than our 10-year average,' said Dr. Samir Gupta, a respirologist and associate professor at the University of Toronto. 'It does look like we are in for a tough season.' Canada's second-worst fire According to federal data, the 2025 wildfire season has already burned 3.7 million hectares of land, an area six times larger than Prince Edward Island, making it Canada's second-worst fire year on record, behind only 2023. Live Events The resulting smoke has triggered air quality alerts in five provinces and one territory, and it's not staying contained within Canadian borders. Smoke from Canadian fires drifted over parts of the continental US in early June, from Kansas City to Minneapolis. High chances of health risks Though Toronto residents are far from the flames, Dr. Gupta says the health risks are very real. 'We see increased emergency room visits for things like asthma, COPD flare-ups, and even heart attacks and strokes,' he explained. 'These particles are so small they enter the bloodstream through the lungs and start affecting the heart and other organs.' Even short-term exposure to wildfire smoke can cause headaches, coughing, eye irritation, dizziness, and in severe cases, chest pain or difficulty breathing. Gupta added that vulnerable populations, including seniors, pregnant individuals, people with chronic illness, and children, are at the greatest risk. However, even healthy individuals should be cautious. 'When I see an AQHI [Air Quality Health Index] over 7, I won't go for a run outside. I'll exercise indoors,' Gupta said. 'When you're running, you breathe in twice as much pollution. It really can take a toll.' On smoky days, experts advise staying indoors, using HEPA air purifiers, and if you must go outside, wearing a fitted N95 mask to filter out fine particulate matter. This summer's conditions are expected to worsen, with The Weather Network forecasting a hotter and drier climate around the Ontario–Manitoba border, resulting in more wildfire outbreaks and smoke movement. 'The effects aren't always visible, but they're happening,' Dr. Gupta said. 'You may not feel it, but the smoke is doing the damage.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
What effect will wildfire smoke have on Toronto residents this summer?
The Toronto skyline is pictured from Polson St. as wildfire smoke rolls into Toronto, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj It's almost summer in Toronto which means many will be looking to soak up the sun after an unseasonably cool May. But with wildfires burning across the northern Ontario, the Prairies, and Western Canada, residual smoke threatens to return to the province's south and could force people indoors due to deteriorating air quality. The city, and much of the surrounding area, saw smoky skies earlier this month as out-of-control fires burned across Canada, which have already displaced tens of thousands of people. The smoke triggered Environment Canada to issue a special air quality statement for the region as well as five other provinces and one territory. On June 6, Toronto briefly held the unenviable title of having the worst air quality in the world due to the smoke, according to Swiss air quality tracker IQAir. 'I think we're already seeing, out of the gate, much higher than our 10-year [wildfire] average. So, it does look like we are in for a tough season,' said Dr. Samir Gupta, a respirologist and associate professor at the University of Toronto, referring to the 183 fires recorded in Ontario so far in 2025. Last year, the province saw 100 forest fires. The 2025 wildfire season has already burned 3.7 million hectares, six times the area of Prince Edward Island, and is the second worst since 2023. The Weather Network released its 2025 summer forecast last month and predicted that conditions by the Ontario-Manitoba boundary will be warmer and drier in the months ahead, which could lead to even more fires and drifting smoke. 'We need to be extra vigilant this summer and really hope that we don't get those fires started because conditions will be more conducive to fire spreading if they do start,' network meteorologist Doug Gillham told The Canadian Press at the time. So, what should you know about Toronto's air quality this summer and how can you stay safe on a smoky day? We spoke with Dr. Gupta to find out. How far reaching can wildfire smoke be? Although people in Toronto won't see any flames as fires burn thousands of kilometres away in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, northern Ontario and beyond, they will likely smell the smoke this summer -- if they haven't already. 'It's not just Toronto, the smoke from the Prairies, at its peak, was affecting three quarters of the continental U.S.,' Gupta said. On June 4, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency map showed that the smoke from Canadian wildfires was lingering over skylines from Kansas City to Minneapolis. At the same time, the smoke crossed the Atlantic and reached as far as Europe, according to an EU climate monitor. 'It doesn't matter where it burns. The wind will carry it. The wind carried it all the way to London,' Gupta said. 'So, we will definitely see the effects in Toronto.' What happens when air quality deteriorates due to wildfire smoke? Gupta said while there are 'lots' of health effects associated with inhaling wildfire smoke, the most measurable are emergency room visits and hospital admissions, both of which he said increase 'within hours' of the Air Quality Health Index level rising. 'We see increased emergency room visits for things like asthma exacerbations or flare ups, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) flare ups. So, obviously lung diseases, because that's the first point of entry of that smoke,' he said. But the health effects aren't limited to the respiratory system. Gupta said the smoke can also cause cardiovascular issues to spike. 'We start to see more heart attacks. In some studies, they've shown more strokes and more heart failure admissions and that's partly because obviously the irritation happens at the level of the lungs when you're breathing in the smoke, but the smoke contains these tiny particles that are small enough to get into the bloodstream through the lungs. And when that happens, they go to all the organs, and that includes the heart, and the heart is very sensitive to these particles, and so it starts to affect cardiovascular function as well.' Headaches, coughs and red eyes In addition to the more serious health effects listed above, wildfire smoke can also cause headaches, a mild cough, as well as nose, throat, eye and sinus irritation. However, because the very-fine particles in the air aren't visible to the human eye, Gupta said by the time you realize you're having a reaction, 'it's often too late.' 'The problem is that for most people, it's silent, you know. some people might have some irritation, sore throats and nose after prolonged exposure, but most people won't know.' In more serious cases, wildfire smoke can cause dizziness, wheezing and chest pains. Who's most at risk? According to Gupta, the most vulnerable populations include (but aren't limited to), the elderly, people with chronic diseases, those who are pregnant, and infants and young children. 'Those people have to check the Air Quality Health Index and try to avoid going out on poor air quality days, because you won't feel it, but it'll be doing the damage,' he said. According to the Air Quality Health Index, which can be viewed on most weather apps, level 1 to 3 represents a low risk, 4 to 6 is moderate risk, 7 to 10 is high risk and above 10 is very high risk. What if I work or exercise outdoors? In addition to monitoring the air quality in your area, if you need to be outdoors on a smoky day, Gupta advises minimizing your time in the open air as much as you can. Beyond that, he says an N-95 mask, similar to the ones used during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a good bet. 'We worry about those tiny particles. So if you can get your hands on one of those high-quality masks, that's the best.' If you exercise or run outdoors, Gupta said you should plan your workouts around the current air quality reading. 'I run outside and I won't run on a 7 plus day. I'll have to do it indoors. I'll have to find an alternative, because I know that with running, you're breathing in double the amount of pollution. It really can take a toll, even on a healthy person.'
The Star
09-06-2025
- General
- The Star
Air quality worsens in Greater Jakarta as govt yet to curb pollution
Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta is shrouded in haze from pollution on June 15, 2024. - Antara JAKARTA: Worsening air quality in Greater Jakarta has brought to light the government's unfulfilled responsibility to ensure citizens' right to clean air and to curb emissions from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles. The Environmental Ministry reported that the Air Pollutant Standard Index (ISPU) in several areas in and around capital Jakarta had fallen into the 'unhealthy' category on Tuesday. So did their readings for several Greater Jakarta areas on Sunday. The ministry identified motor vehicle emissions as the main source of pollution, contributing up to 57 per cent during the dry season. Coal-fired industrial activities accounted for 14 per cent, dust from construction sites 13 per cent, open burning 9 per cent and the rest came from secondary aerosols formed by atmospheric reactions of pollutant gases. Real-time monitoring by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir recorded that air quality readings in Jakarta were at 'unhealthy' levels, between 153 and 159, for three days last week. While the air quality slightly improved on Sunday, to 142, classified as unhealthy for sensitive groups, Jakarta remained the fourth most polluted city in the world. Several regions on the outskirts of Jakarta, such as South Tangerang in Banten and Bekasi and Depok in West Java also recorded poor scores, with the pattern persisting in recent weeks. Many people took to social media to share images of the smog-covered skyline and IQAir readings in their areas, voicing concern over the worsening pollution and the health risks it imposes. Greenpeace campaigner Yenny Silvia Sirait said that the poor air quality 'stemmed from the lack of initiatives and regulations to reduce the use of coal-fired power plants surrounding Jakarta', coupled with rising use of private cars and lack of green public transport. Being labelled among the most polluted cities is not unfamiliar to Jakarta and its satellite cities. The capital recorded highly unhealthy air quality for several months in 2023, sparking national concern and forcing the environment ministry to set up a task force and the government to temporarily shut down several units of the Suralaya coal-fired power plant in Cilegon, Banten. It is one of 16 coal-fired power plants operating in Banten and West Java that environmentalists say are major emission sources. 'It is very likely the 2023 conditions will return,' Yenny of Greenpeace told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. 'The government has not fully met its responsibilities, despite the air pollution lawsuit having been won.' She was referring to a 2021 citizen lawsuit against the government. The court at the time ordered the Environment Ministry and the governors of Jakarta, Banten and West Java to tighten environmental regulations, improve air pollution monitoring systems and enforce periodic emissions tests for older vehicles. Yenny urged the environment ministry to set up a clear road map for improving the air quality and suggested that regional administrations across Greater Jakarta should expand green public transportation and stop allowing the development of coal-fired power plants. The ministry's deputy for pollution and environmental damage control Rasio Ridho Sani said in a press release on Tuesday that the ministry had 'taken intensive measures' to address air pollution. This includes instructing state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina to speed up the distribution of low-sulfur fuels with sulfur content below 50 parts per million (ppm), which allow cleaner combustion. Pertamina's widely used Pertalite, meanwhile, contains up to 500 ppm of sulfur. The ministry has also shut down nine polluting companies operating in Bekasi and Bogor in West Java and Tangerang, Banten. They are metal smelters, tofu and textile producers, hazardous waste processors and non-ferrous metal manufacturers. Rujak Center for Urban Studies executive director Elisa Sutanudjaja, one of the petitioners of the 2021 air pollution lawsuit, said on Friday that: 'I don't see many changes now [following the court ruling]'. She was unconvinced that new Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung's mandatory public transport use for civil servants could significantly reduce pollution particularly in the absence of policies that restrict the use of private vehicles. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here's how you can check the air quality where you live
(KDVR) — Wildfires in Canada have caused poor air quality and smoky skies across several U.S. metros for days. On Wednesday, the air quality in New York City was ranked the worst in the world. 'I can taste the air': Canadian wildfire smoke spreads hazardous haze at home and in the US That's according to IQAir's Air Quality and Pollution City Ranking, which is updated hourly, the air pollution advocacy organization explains. It's important to note that while New York City is currently in the top spot for unhealthy air, it will likely drop back down once the aforementioned smoke disappears. A few weeks ago, Denver, Colorado, was ranked among the top 10 worst in the world due to wildfire smoke. As of Wednesday, the city ranked 96th on IQAir's list. IQAir's live Air Quality and Pollution City Ranking ranks cities based on AQI, or Air Quality Index points. Cities/areas are assigned a series of ranges for how healthy or unhealthy the air currently is. To find your city/area, you'll need to allow IQAir to access your location. Once the system locates you, it'll give you your area's AQI, in addition to which main pollutant is contributing to the pollution level. Ranges include: Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous. New York City's air on Wednesday is the only city on the entire list given a Hazardous air rating. Canada fires bring dystopian haze, air-quality alerts in US. Is it safe to go outside? Aside from New York City, the next highest U.S. city on the air quality ranking is Detroit, Michigan (23), which claimed 'moderate' air quality levels Wednesday evening. India dominated the top 5, with the cities of Delhi and Kolkata ranking third and fourth, respectively, and claiming Unhealthy air ratings. The second highest city on the list is Dubai, UAE, whose air was ranked unhealthy. Will the level of smoke be dangerous for your health? Here's what the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said people everywhere should know. 'If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood, you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill,' CDPHE said. 'Bob's Burgers' actor faces charges in Jan. 6 riot If visibility is less than 5 miles in your neighborhood, the smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy, and you should stay indoors. You can visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on wildfire smoke hazards. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
07-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Waterloo Region sees some of the worst air quality in province: Air Quality Health Index
Waterloo Region saw some of the worst air quality in Ontario according to data from IQAir and Ontario's Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
