Toronto and most of southern Ontario are under a special air quality statement due to the smoke from wildfires burning across Canada.
Environment Canada says the smoke is expected to blanket the city this evening into Friday morning.
“Smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility,” Environment Canada said in its advisory.
“As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.”
Some people may experience symptoms such as eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, or a mild cough due to the smoke.
Smoke from the wildfires has also reached some parts of the U.S. and Europe.
According to Health Canada, wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases, particles, and water vapour that contains fine particulate matter, which represents the primary risk.
“These particles aren’t visible to the human eye and have been linked to a wide range of health effects,” the federal agency said.
“There’s no known safe level of exposure for some of these pollutants. This means that smoke can impact your health even at very low levels. As smoke levels increase, your health risk increases. Air quality may be poor even if you can’t see or smell smoke.”
Those who are at most risk include seniors, people who smoke, infants and young children and those who are pregnant.
