The wildfire haze that is turning air quality in New England hazardous and New York City skies orange is an unusual event for the East Coast of the U.S.—but it may not be for long.
Northeastern University professor Yang Zhang says to expect more of such events in the future, as the risk of wildfires grows.
She joined other Northeastern experts to offer advice on what people can do to protect themselves and their families.
Use the air quality index…
Check the color-coded maps on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index to see when it’s safe to go outdoors, says Zhang, who co-authored a paper published in February showing wildfires will pose an increased risk to air quality in the Eastern U.S. by 2050.
The index divides air quality values from 0 to 500 into six color categories—green, yellow, orange, red, purple and maroon,…
