Minneapolis had the fifth worst air quality among 125 cites worldwide on Saturday morning, according to an international air quality monitoring platform.
IQ Air gave Minneapolis an air quality index (AQI) ranking of 107, making the air unhealthy for people with sensitive conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Only Kinshasa, Congo; Kolkata, India; Baghdad, Iraq; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, registered worst air quality, according to IQ Air.
However, Minneapolis dropped in the rankings as the day progressed. As of Saturday night, the city had fallen to 11th place with an AQI of 97, putting it on the upper end of the moderate category.
Among American cities, Los Angeles and Chicago trailed farther down the list compiled by IQAir, a Swiss company that claims to operate the world’s largest real-time air quality monitoring platform.
Smoke from wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan continue to foul the air in Minnesota, leading the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to extend the state’s air quality alert to Monday. The alert was set to lift Saturday evening as winds were forecast to drive unhealthy smoke particles north, but smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting south to Tennessee and Missouri slowed that.
Officials warn that tiny particles in the smoke can enter the bloodstream and cause breathing problems and other health concerns, leading to an increase in emergency room visits.
Experts say people can protect themselves with N95 respirators, but they advised residents to stay indoors and use air conditioning with air filters.
