ER9 school students will remain indoors today as a band of smoke created by wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia lingers across the region, according to school officials.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Wednesday warned residents that smoke from the wildfires has made air quality is “unhealthy.”
With air quality deemed “unhealthy” there is an increased likelihood for all individuals for aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in persons with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly. There are also increased respiratory effects in the general population. DEEP forecasts that elevated fine particulate matter levels are expected to exceed unhealthy levels for an “extended period” according to the state agency.
