Chicago briefly held the unwanted title of the most polluted major city in the world, as thick Canadian wildfire smoke choked the metro area, prompting dire warnings from health officials.
At midday, air quality monitoring company IQ Air ranked Chicago’s pollution levels the highest globally, surpassing all other major cities.
Brian Urbaszewski of the Respiratory Health Association warned that the smoke posed a serious health threat, according to WBEZ.
“It’s going to send people to the emergency room. Some people may die because of what they’re breathing,” said Urbaszewski.
The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert across Illinois through Friday, advising residents to stay indoors and limit exposure.
By 3 p.m., the city of Kinshasa, Congo, overtook Chicago in pollution levels. Earlier in the day, Minneapolis and Detroit also ranked among the world’s most polluted due to the same wildfire smoke.
This is not the first time Chicago has topped the list; similar smoke events last summer and earlier this June caused dangerous conditions.
Experts say climate-driven wildfires may become the norm. Residents are urged to wear N95 masks, use air purifiers, and install high-efficiency filters.
Conditions are expected to improve by the weekend, with pollution levels forecast to ease to “moderate” by tomorrow.
