Most of the U.S. can breathe easier this weekend after smoke from Canadian wildfires made its way south, covering our skies with haze for several days.
The Air Quality Index is in moderate to good standing for much of New York state Saturday.
Earlier in the week, it has reached hazardous levels of over 300 in many areas. That caused trouble for people with respiratory issues, according to new numbers from the Department of Health.
While New York City’s concentration hit 303 at one point on Wednesday, New York’s air typically falls well within healthy levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard for exposure is no more than 35 micrograms per day, and no more than 12 micrograms a day for longer-term exposure. New York’s annual average was 10 or below the past two years.
Outside of New York City, state hospitals saw nearly 150 asthma-related emergency department visits.
Those experiencing other respiratory symptoms increased about 10% on Wednesday, compared to the prior 5 day average.