DEC: Air quality getting worse, advisory extended

(Photo via Unsplash).

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) extended its health advisory, as the air quality worsens in the Central New York region.

The DEC’s air quality health advisory, in effect since Tuesday at midnight, has been stretched to the late-night hours of Thursday. The advisory was originally in effect from Tuesday at midnight to the late-evening hours of Wednesday.

According to airnow.gov, the air quality index (AQI) has fluctuated between 160 and 190 since the early-morning hours of Thursday. This means the AQI levels are currently unhealthy in the region.

(Chart provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation).

The advisories come after Canada’s record-setting wildfire season continues to burn coast-to-coast in the country.

According to USA Today, Canada currently has over 250 blazes burning “out of control.” Health experts advise individuals under air quality advisories to use air conditioning indoors or use N95 masks outside.

The ongoing wildfires have led to a blanket of smog and the smell of burning wood in the United States’ midwest region and most of the northeast region. The smoke has also crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached western Europe.

Further information on the air quality health advisory can be viewed by clicking here. The AQI tracker is here.