Detroit Air Quality Suffers from Canadian Fires

The Canadian wildfires are exacerbating the already poor air quality for Detroiters.

According to IQ Air, a website that tracks air quality around the world, Detroit ranks eight due to the wildfire. New York City ranks first.

One of the effects of poor air quality is asthma; the prevalence of asthma for Detroiters is 46 percent higher than the rest of the state.

In essence, the wildfires are further contributing to the environmental racism that Black Detroiters have long suffered.

Sandra Turner-Handy, a retiree of the Michigan Environmental Council, told NBC News, “Before the fires, residents had been breathing high-particulate matter and other toxins on a consistent basis.” She said that residents living near the Detroit River should be especially concerned due to the high levels of pollution in the area due to its industrial use.

About Post Author

Andrea Plaid

Andrea Plaid’s work on race, gender, sex, and sexuality has appeared at Newsweek.com, Vogue.com, The Guardian, In These Times, MadameNoire, HelloBeautiful and Rewire. Her commentary has appeared on MSNBC, Chicago Tribune, and Washington Post. She is writing the forthcoming stylebook, Penning with the People, for The Feminist Wire/University of Arizona Press’ book series. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Andrea now lives in Corktown.

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