Louisville air quality: Is the air unsafe? Here's what to know
Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District and Indiana Department of Environmental Management have issued an air quality alert for the region through Thursday night.
Thursday morning, parts of Louisville experienced air quality index measurements upwards of 130, according to an air quality aggregate site. The general public isn't likely to be affected at levels under around 200, though sensitive groups may experience health effects around 24 hours after exposure. Levels from 201 and above increase risks for everyone, the site said.
The National Weather Service in Louisville has also forecasted widespread haze through Friday since smoke has been trickling into the Ohio River Valley as a result of several Canadian wildfires burning in Nova Scotia. Canada has experienced nearly 2,000 wildfires that have burned up more than 3 million acres this year, according to the Associated Press.
Surrounding areas have experienced similar conditions as Louisville.
A tweet from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said the air quality index could even spike to generally unhealthy levels, and the Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency extended its alert through Friday.
Statewide Air Quality Advisory:
Because of the Canadian wildfires, the Air Quality Index is expected to be in the "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to "unhealthy" ranges.
It is in effect through Wed., 6-7, with particulate levels expected to remain elevated through Thurs., 6-8. pic.twitter.com/62OD3LZqeW— Ohio EPA (@OhioEPA) June 7, 2023
The story is similar in Indianapolis as well as large swaths of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic where the weather service doesn't expect conditions to improve into Thursday.
An Air Quality Alert is in effect for all of Central Indiana through Thursday night as wildfire smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to push into the region. Active children and adults, and people with respiratory diseases, should limit prolonged outdoor exposure. #inwx pic.twitter.com/nck9B8yZdf
— NWS Indianapolis (@NWSIndianapolis) June 7, 2023
Not a great deal of air quality improvement is anticipated tomorrow as smoke from wildfires in eastern Canada continues to filter southward.
Visit https://t.co/CVx9g8Hm1q for details. pic.twitter.com/Op0shyhAZ1— National Weather Service (@NWS) June 7, 2023
Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville air quality: Here's what to know about air quality index
