Millions Urged To Avoid Driving
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Millions of Americans have been urged to avoid driving amid concerns over high air pollution levels.
Air quality alerts were issued across parts of Illinois, Colorado, Wyoming, and Arizona on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The warnings mean ground-level ozone and particulate concentrations are forecast to reach dangerous levels. In some areas, the pollution comes from drifting wildfire smoke.
Why It Matters
The NWS warned that both sensitive groups—such as children, seniors, and individuals with preexisting respiratory or heart conditions—and the general public might experience health effects linked to poor air quality in the affected regions.
"Increasing likelihood of respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in people with cardiopulmonary disease and older adults," the NWS said in its alert.
"People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion."
Haze from a Canadian wildfire blankets the Chicago area in July.
Haze from a Canadian wildfire blankets the Chicago area in July.
Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times/AP
What To Know
In Colorado, an Action Day for Multiple Pollutants has been issued for Thursday until 4 p.m. MT for the Front Range Urban Corridor, covering cities including Denver and Boulder.
"Hot weather and incoming wildfire smoke will allow particulate matter and ozone to reach the unhealthy [level] for sensitive groups category on Wednesday and Thursday," the NWS said.
"If possible, please help us reduce ozone pollution by limiting driving gas and diesel-powered vehicles until at least 4 p.m."
In Arizona, an ozone high pollution advisory has been issued for the Phoenix Metro Area.
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) said in the NWS alert notice: "You are urged to car pool, telecommute or use mass transit. The use of gasoline-powered equipment should be reduced or done late in the day."
In Illinois, an Air Pollution Action Day has been issued for the greater Chicago Metropolitan Area until midnight. This means that ozone and particulate levels are expected to be at or above the level that poses health risks to sensitive groups.
"Active children and adults, especially people with pulmonary or respiratory disease such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor activity," the NWS said.
In Wyoming, an air quality alert for wildfire smoke has been issued for portions of the southeast, including the cities of Laramie and Cheyenne, until noon.
What People Are Saying
The ADEQ said in the NWS alert notice: "Ozone is an air contaminant which can cause breathing difficulties for children, older adults, as well as persons with respiratory problems. A decrease in physical activity is recommended."
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said: "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 older adults.
"Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than five miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy."
Jonathan Grigg, a professor of pediatric respiratory and environmental medicine at Queen Mary University of London, previously told Newsweek that there are "very clear links" between inhaling particles and earlier death from both respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
He added: "There are vulnerable groups and classically they are children because they've got an extra issue to do with their lungs developing, whereas our lungs are not developing as adults."
What Happens Next
The air quality alerts are currently set to remain in force until Thursday afternoon and evening.
Regular updates regarding air pollution levels are issued on the NWS website and on the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow interactive map.
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