And then there’s the upcoming relocation of General Iron, the Lincoln Park metal shredder that’s planning to move to Chicago’s Southeast Side this fall, not far from Altgeld Gardens. Even people working construction jobs, people that are out doing a jog or taking a walk in the park, it affects everybody equally now. So the emissions from that alone will trigger many of the respiratory problems we are experiencing in our community,” she said. Suburban restaurant owners push back as IL coronavirus restrictions take effect Fri. Woman survives frightening Jeep rollover crash captured on video, East Chicago girl, 8, shot in head by stray bullet while doing homework: police, Whitney Young student surprised with U Chicago admission, scholarship, Immigrant shares story of voting for 1st time since becoming citizen, https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota/. In many of Chicago’s Black and Brown communities, the spikes in air pollution are yet another obstacle for residents long assailed by decades of pollution. A new report on air quality from the American Lung Association found that Chicago is the 18th most polluted city in the US for ozone pollution. And how are some of the most polluted neighborhoods across the city coping with the short- and long-term ramifications of unhealthy air? © Copyright TWC Product and Technology LLC 2014, 2020, Signs You Have an Allergy — and Don't Know It, Sleeping With a Fan Can Trigger Allergies, Some Experts Say, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Français, State of Vatican City (Holy See) | Italiano. Use escape to clear. Recently searched locations will be displayed if there is no search query. Type at least three characters to start auto complete. Every day from July 2 to July 8 this year, Chicago saw air quality warnings due to high levels of ozone and particulate matter in the air. … Why do we always have to be the dumping ground for the city, or the state of Illinois?”. And especially now with the pandemic, you have to have a strong respiratory system to fight the pandemic,” Tin said. 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Pollen and Air Quality forecast for Chicago, IL with air quality index, pollutants, pollen count and pollution map from Weather Underground. Married man charged with murder of pregnant girlfriend, newborn baby, La Grange college freshman, 18, dies from COVID-19, IL top doctor breaks down during plea to fight COVID-19 fatigue, Waukegan police officer fired after fatal traffic stop shooting, FBI joins investigation, Chicago restrictions, business curfew take effect as COVID-19 cases surge, Man dies after shot by police in Little Village, 2 guns recovered, Chicago Weather: Sunny but very chilly Saturday. The GAIA air quality monitoring stations are using high-tech laser particle sensors to measure in real-time PM2.5 pollution, which is one of the most harmful air pollutants. Pollen Breakdown covers specific pollens like ragweed, while Today’s Pollen Count tracks ALL pollen. “So around this time [in the summer] this is the worst time for any of our communities when it comes to air quality issues.”. This year’s report found that Chicago had a yearly average of just 1.2 unhealthy air quality days in terms of particle pollution. Very easy to set up, they only require a WIFI access point and a USB power supply. Here is the 3 day outlook for the worst offenders. And ozone is one of the pollutants we’re concerned about,” said Angela Tin, national senior director at the American Lung Association. AIRNow - Chicago, IL Air Quality - AQI: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101 - 150) Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air. July in Chicago brings scorching summer heat to the city, and often with it, poor air quality. “Folks are still upset. All Rights Reserved. The neighborhood has been dubbed by locals as “the toxic doughnut” because of all the heavy industry and landfills that surround it. Although the study provides a big-picture look at Chicago’s air quality, there is not enough data to evaluate short-term effects of pollution in the city, according to the report. And in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side, residents continue to grapple with the fallout of the Crawford power plant smokestack demolition on April 11. The move has incensed local activists, including Johnson. “The ozone and the particulate matter affects even young people, normal healthy people. Based on the weather conditions expected for your area, Watson predicts the following risk of allergy symptoms: Do you know which kinds of pollen aggravate your symptoms? Once connected, air pollution levels are reported instantaneously and in real-time on our maps CHICAGO (WLS) -- A new report on air quality from the American Lung Association found that Chicago is 18th most polluted city in the United States for ozone pollution, a significant change when the city was ranked 22nd last year. “When you have things coming out of the tailpipe, and you have heat, and you have sunlight, you have ozone. The Weather Company is the world's most accurate forecaster, according to the most recent, most comprehensive study available (2010-2017) from Forecast Watch. The company is turning the power plant site into a warehouse and distribution center, which would bring increased truck traffic into the area. The 15 Day forecast covers more than pollen – so even if pollen is low, the overall allergy risk could still be high. Tin says these surges of unhealthy air can lead to both short and long-term respiratory problems. Sign up for our morning newsletter to get all of our stories delivered to your mailbox each weekday. The first option will be automatically selected. Copyright © 2020 WLS-TV. So what do these spikes mean for the health of Chicagoans, especially during a respiratory pandemic? “We’ve always been an isolated community, a forgotten community,” Johnson said. They don’t see any remedy for what happened on April 11. Wasserman’s group and some other residents are calling for Hilco to leave Little Village entirely. Use up and down arrows to change selection. Overseen by Hilco Redevelopment Partners, the demolition sent a massive cloud of dust into the largely Hispanic-Latino neighborhood, leaving residents concerned about possible health threats. Every day from July 2 to July 8 this year, Chicago saw air quality warnings due to high levels of ozone and particulate matter in the air. And in fact, Hilco is able to continue to move forward with the demolition,” said Kim Wasserman, executive director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. “It’s only going to exacerbate the problems we already have in our community. July in Chicago brings scorching summer heat to the city, and often with it, poor air quality. What That Means for Illinois. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left;width:100%;font-weight:normal;}, The Great Chicago Fire: A Chicago Stories Special. Crawford power plant smokestack demolition on April 11. “Right across the street we have the [Metropolitan] Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago sludge bed. Pollen Breakdown covers specific pollens like ragweed, while Today’s Pollen Count tracks ALL pollen.