[ti:Eastern US Concerned About Air Quality During Canada Fires]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]Winds are pushing smoke from Canadian wildfires
[00:04.72]into major cities across the U.S. Midwest and East Coast.
[00:12.00]The smoke is causing dangerous air quality levels in both countries.
[00:18.92]The wildfires are burning over 400,000 hectares across Canada.
[00:26.60]They stretch from the western provinces all the way
[00:30.12]to the eastern provinces of Quebec and Nova Scotia.
[00:35.92]Canadian officials have expanded evacuation orders
[00:40.92]and asked other countries for help
[00:44.04]fighting more than 420 fires nationwide.
[00:49.12]Winds are blowing smoke from Eastern Canada to the south,
[00:53.80]causing people in places like New York City,
[00:58.36]Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to see hazy skies.
[01:03.88]Officials in many cities have sent out air quality warnings
[01:08.92]and urged people to limit time outside.
[01:14.68]The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
[01:18.40]said the smoky air and the smell of burning wood
[01:23.00]are likely to stay around for a few more days in northern states.
[01:30.12]Darren Austin is a weather expert with
[01:33.68]the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
[01:38.08]He said the small eastern state sometimes
[01:42.24]sees smoke in the air from wildfires.
[01:45.88]However, by the time the smoke gets to his state,
[01:50.96]it has often spread over a large area.
[01:54.68]This time, the fires are much stronger
[01:58.28]and only about 800 kilometers away.
[02:02.52]Dr. David Hill is a breathing and lung expert based in Connecticut.
[02:09.12]He said this kind of smoke contains small particles
[02:14.40]that can get into the lungs and cause health problems.
[02:19.28]Trent Ford is a weather expert in the Midwestern state of Illinois.
[02:24.60]He said the recent dry and windy conditions
[02:29.04]in many places across the country
[02:32.04]have made it easier for the smoke to travel longer distances.
[02:37.40]Rain would have made the air heavier and cleaner.
[02:42.32]The American Lung Association notes
[02:44.80]that smoky air can be a problem for young children
[02:48.68]because they breathe in more air
[02:51.44]relative to their body weight than adults.
[02:55.44]Hill, the lung expert, said people
[02:58.72]who will be working outside for a long period of time
[03:02.48]should consider wearing a face mask.
[03:05.12]The ones people wore during the COVID-19 pandemic
[03:09.44]– rated N95 or similar- will help.
[03:13.80]In addition, he advised people to check their home air filters
[03:19.20]and consider purchasing an air purifier.
[03:22.72]I'm Dan Friedell. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM