Canada wildfire smoke: Akron's air quality is worse than Beijing, Shanghai

Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer
·1 min read

Air quality in Akron today is worse than in Beijing and Shanghai, cities notoriously plagued by air pollution.

The air quality index in Akron on Thursday is 157, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the World Air Quality Index project. The project has more than 30,000 stations measuring air quality in 2,000 cities across the globe.

Shanghai's air quality is 107, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Beijing has a rating of 37, which is considered good. Heavy industry plants in China's major cities have caused dangerous smog levels for years.

A barge makes its way down the Ohio River around Delhi on Wednesday. The area is under an air quality alert, from the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency. The agency reccomends are urging people to fill their gas tank after 6 p.m. and avoid driving and using gas-powered equipment.
A barge makes its way down the Ohio River around Delhi on Wednesday. The area is under an air quality alert, from the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency. The agency reccomends are urging people to fill their gas tank after 6 p.m. and avoid driving and using gas-powered equipment.

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has drifted to parts of the U.S. The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for Akron, Cleveland, Medina, Wadsworth, Kent, Aurora, Streetsboro, Ravenna and others that is effective until midnight tonight.

Akron isn't the only U.S. city affected. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights headed to in New York until Wednesday afternoon due to low visibility, CNN reported. New York's air quality reached a hazardous level, with an index of 380.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Canadian wildfires: Air quality in Akron was worse than Beijing