>>> LAZY, HAZY, CRAZY DAYS OF SUMMER .

IT ACCURATELY DESCRIBES HOW IT FELT IN CHICAGO TODAY.

A SMOKEY HAYES FROM CANADIAN WILDFIRES , MAKING THIS AIR QUALITY THE WORST IN THE WORLD.

THE ILLINOIS EPA ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ADVISORY FOR RESIDENTS.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT STAYING SAFE AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IS AN ALLERGIST SPECIALIZING IN ASTHMA CARE AND IS A NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON .

THE DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM IS ALSO A BOARD MEMBER AND IS A PROFESSOR OF METEOROLOGY.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN IN SIMPLE TERMS, WHAT'S GOING ON?

>> WELL THERE'S A NUMBER OF FIRES UP IN CANADA .

A LOT OF THAT SMOKE HAS BEEN MAKING ITS WAY DOWN AND SOME HAVE BEEN AT HIGHER LEVELS .

THIS EPISODE HAS BEEN MUCH LOWER , COMING DOWN TO THE SURFACE WITH BASICALLY CLEAR SKIES.

WE SAW THIS IN NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA EARLIER THIS YEAR.

WE CAN'T PROJECT THAT TRAJECTORY, THOUGH.

>> CHICAGO'S AIR QUALITY REACHED HEALTHY LEVELS TODAY , SO HOW CONCERNED SHOULD WE BE?

>> ONCE WE GET INTO THIS ORANGE LEVEL , WE BLEW PAST THAT INTO RED , AT THE STATE LEVEL, TO THE PURPLE LEVEL, WHICH IS VERY UNHEALTHY.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FINE PARTICULATES AND WE WILL ALSO SEE SOME HIGH OZONE LEVELS WITH THIS GAP BY AIR POLLUTION, PARTICULARLY SUNLIGHT , AND WE'VE BEEN SEEING THIS A LOT .

WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO GREEN AIR-QUALITY DAYS , BOTH FOR OZONE AND PARTICLES.

>> SO HOW DOES THIS AFFECT US?

>> YOU ARE LOOKING AT IT.

IT STARTS ENTERING THROUGH THE NOSE.

THE POLAR HAVING SOME IRRITATED EYE ISSUES.

IT ENTERS INTO THE LUNGS, PEOPLE EXPERIENCE COSTS AND INFLATION AND IT CAN GO INTO OTHER ORGANS.

IT CAN ALSO CAUSE PREMATURE DELIVERIES AND PREGNANT WOMEN , WHICH IS WHY WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT PEOPLE PRONE TO LUNG DISEASE STAY INDOORS.

>>> AS WELL IS WEARING MASKS OUTSIDE, RIGHT?

DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE COVERED PANDEMIC, THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS OVER WHICH MASK IS MOST EFFECTIVE.

>> IF YOU ARE GOING OUTDOORS, USE AN AND 95 MASS.

IT'S 1/10 THE DIAMETER , THAT SMALL, SO WE WANT SOMETHING THAT WILL FILTER IT OUT.

IF YOU HAVE ASTHMA OR ANY UNDERLYING LUNG DISEASE , MAKE SURE THERE'S NO EXERCISING , NOTHING SIGNIFICANT AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT SYMPTOMS.

>> THERE ARE DIFFERENT AIR QUALITIES INFORMATION.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TRUST?

>> THE BEST ONE TO TRUST IS THE GOVERNMENT ONE, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU UPDATED INFORMATION, YOU CAN SEE OTHER AIR MONITORS AROUND YOUR COMMUNITY , AND THIS WILL GIVE YOU A REALLY CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

YOU CAN SIGN UP THERE TO GET AUTOMATED RELATES WHEN AIR QUALITY GETS BAD , SO MAKE SURE YOUR LOVED ONES ARE TAKEN CARE OF .

IT CAN AUTOMATICALLY SEND THAT INFORMATION.

>> BEFORE THE SHOW, YOU SAID WE HAD QUITE A FEW OF THESE ISSUES , BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE FIRST DAY WHERE A LOT OF US ARE ACTUALLY NOTICING IT.

>> IT'S GOOD TO CHECK, IT'S GOOD TO KEEP UP , ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS VULNERABLE.

CHILDREN, WHO BREATHE MORE AIR PER POUND OF BODY WEIGHT , FOLKS WHO MAY HAVE OTHER CHRONIC CONDITIONS ARE ALL POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE.

>> SO, WHAT HAS CHANGED ?

>> A NUMBER OF FIRES ARE STILL CONTINUING.

RIGHT NOW, THOSE WINDS ARE MORE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST AND WE WILL GET SOME MITIGATION AGAINST THESE PARTICULATES AS YOU START TO GET RAIN SHOWERS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND START TO DEAL WITH THAT AIR.

THE BASIC IDEA FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS IS THAT MOST OF THE SMOKE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FURTHER SOUTHWEST MADE THIS WILL RETURN, SOMEWHAT , BUT IT GETS WASHED OUT AND WE SHOULD START SEEING IMPROVING CONDITIONS.

>> SO NEW YORK TURNED ORANGE WHEN THIS HAPPENED , TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

>> WELL, THAT ORANGE SKY , WE HAD SOME SPECTACULAR SUNSETS, PARTICULARLY AS THAT GOT HIGHER IN THE ATMOSPHERE WITH THAT VISIBILITY AND THAT HUMIDITY , SO THAT IT WILL BE COMBINING.

AS WE SAID, THE OZONE AND THE COMBINATION OF THAT AND STRONG SUNLIGHT , AND THAT BROWNISH HAYES THAT WE SEE.

>> ALSO MAKING A CONNECTION BETWEEN THIS AND POOR AIR QUALITY, RIGHT?

>> THESE ARE SORT OF TWO BASIC THINGS , AS THESE LEAD TO FIRE, WHICH HAS BLOCKED THE AIR THIS ENTIRE SPRING FROM MAY INTO JUNE, AND IT'S THE COMBINATION OF THAT AND THAT NORTHEASTERLY FLOW, THOSE TWO THINGS ARE RELATED.

WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME, THAT'S NOT FOR SURE, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A SIGN OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED.

>> ARE THERE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS?

>> MAKING SURE THAT YOU DON'T GO OUTDOORS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO, IF YOU ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED , BEING AWARE OF THOSE CONDITIONS , GET A GOOD MASK, AND AND 95 IF YOU ARE GOING OUTDOORS .

>> WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF RACE CARS ZOOMING AROUND IN CHICAGO THIS WEEKEND, WILL THAT HAVE AN IMPACT?

>> IT WILL.

OMISSIONS WILL ALSO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE POLLUTING , AND UNFORTUNATELY