Air In Boston, New York And Detroit Gets Dangerously Dirty

By Douglas McIntyre  •  August 20, 2025
Anon Pexels

There have been days this year when the air quality, according to IQAir, is worse than the huge Indian city Delhi. Delhi, on average across the year, is among the most polluted large cities in the world. The air quality in Boston, New York, and Detroit has been worse some days.

The reason for the air quality problem is wildfires both in Canada and the Western US. This has started to happen in other large parts of the world. This year, it is in Europe, where massive wildfires have set records in terms of acres destroyed. Additionally,  in some parts of the continent, temperatures, near 100 degree F, are 20 degrees above normal. 

New data show that short term exposure to heavy wildfire smoke is more dangerous than previously thought. The Guardian reports, “Choking smoke spewed by wildfires is far more dangerous than previously thought, a new study has found, with death tolls from short-term exposure to fine particulates underestimated by 93%.”

Like COVID-19 Masks

No matter what the research shows, in cities where the air quality deteriorates to record lows, people begin to go to emergency rooms. Some businesses shut down. People wear masks they bought for the COVID-19 pandemic, and people with disabling conditions like asthma are put at the most risk.

There is almost certainly no time when smoke problems have been worse in America’s northern cities. This probably includes when there were no air pollution laws as was the case before the 1970s. At the very least, the problem is at least that bad.

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