COLUMBUS – Central Ohio was under another Air Quality Alert Thursday as smoke from Canadian wildfires has lowered curtains of haze on broad swaths of United States, pushing into Ohio, southern Illinois, Indiana and parts of West Virginia.
Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, and Licking counties were experiencing “very unhealthy” levels of particle pollution early Thursday.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, the agency which issues Air Quality Alerts in the region, uses the national Air Quality Index scale, which ranges from 0 to 500, to determine when to issue the alerts. Levels above 200 are considered “very unhealthy.” The AQI level in Columbus Thursday morning was as high as 238.
When the index is that high, residents are urged to limit outdoor activity to decrease the potential for health issues, and check on vulnerable friends and family, including seniors. They should consider moving physical activities indoors or reschedule, and those who are experiencing breathing difficulties should consult their doctor.
Light southerly to south-southwesterly winds will hinder dispersion and allow dense smoke to linger over central Ohio while partly to mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures will enhance ozone formation. These conditions, combined with pollutant regional carryover from previous days, will result in unhealthy levels for pollutants and ozone.
Cleveland, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh all experienced “very unhealthy” air Wednesday. Detroit had the worst air quality in the U.S.