BY CAITLIN O'KANE
UPDATED ON: JUNE 27, 2023 / 4:02 PM / CBS NEWS
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chicago-wo ... e-27-2023/
Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit had some of the worst air quality in the world Tuesday as wildfire smoke from Quebec, Canada, seeps into the Midwest. The raging fires have been impacting parts of the U.S. since earlier this month, and all three cities hit the purple zone of the AQI, or air quality index. ... At one point on Tuesday, Chicago was at level 228, veering into the purple or "very unhealthy" zone, and nearby Milwaukee was at level 221, according to AirNow, a government site that measures air quality.
Maps that depict the current air quality in the U.S. show Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of surrounding states like Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan are in the red or "unhealthy" zone and some people may experience health effects, according to AirNow.
The East Coast of the U.S., which suffered dangerous air quality from the Canadian wildfires earlier this month, now appears mostly clear, but some areas are in the yellow or "moderate" zone, which means the air quality is acceptable but could pose a risk for some people.
According to IQ Air, which monitors the air quality index around the world, major midwestern cities Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit had some of the worst air quality in the world, with Dubai as well as Lahore and Karachi, Pakistan, also high on the list. Chicago topped the list at times Tuesday.
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