Boston haze prompts air quality warning, expert shares health advice

AN ORANGE ALERT TONIGHT FOR AIR QUALITY. WE’RE TAKING ANOTHER LIVE LOOK OVER THE CITY OF BOSTON RIGHT today. THOSE ARE NOT CLOUDS. IT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A CRYSTAL CLEAR BLUE SKY, NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY. TODAY. IT’S ALL HAZE AND SMOKE CAUSED BY WILDFIRES BURNING IN CANADA. THE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR EVERY PART OF THE STATE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. JOINING US today IS DOCTOR ALI RAJA, THE HEAD OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT MASS GENERAL. DOCTOR RAJA, GREAT TO SEE YOU. YOU TOO. ERIKA. SO WHAT IS IT IN THE AIR RIGHT today THAT’S GOT YOUR ATTENTION? WELL, ERIKA WHAT WE’RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT. THESE. ARE THESE REALLY SMALL PARTICULATE POLLUTANTS. THEY’RE CALLED PM 2.5, WHICH STANDS FOR PARTICULATE MATTER. THAT’S SMALLER THAN 2.5 MICRONS. AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY’RE SO SMALL THAT THEY CAN GET REALLY DEEP INTO HUMAN LUNGS. SO FOR PEOPLE WITH ASTHMA OR COPD OR HEART DISEASE, THEY CAN REALLY CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS AS THEY COME IN FROM ALL THIS WILDFIRE SMOKE. SO SHOULD THOSE GROUPS. DOCTOR RAJA STAY INSIDE TONIGHT. BEN IF POSSIBLE. THAT’S DEFINITELY THE SAFEST OPTION. AS MIKE WAS JUST MENTIONING EARLIER, WITH AN ORANGE LEVEL AIR QUALITY ALERT, THE AIR IS REALLY CONSIDERED UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE INDIVIDUALS. THAT MEANS IF YOU’RE IN ONE OF THOSE GROUPS, YOU STAY INDOORS, YOU KEEP YOUR WINDOWS CLOSED, YOU USE A HEPA AIR PURIFIER IF YOU’VE GOT ONE. IF YOU REALLY NEED TO GO OUTSIDE, IF YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE DOG OUT, IF YOU HAVE TO RUN A QUICK ERRAND, YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE A WELL-FITTING N95, AND THAT WILL REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SMOKE THAT YOU BREATHE IN. OKAY. AND HOW ABOUT FOR HEALTHY PEOPLE? WHAT IS THE RISK FOR THEM? IS THERE A CERTAIN TIME YOU SHOULD BE MORE ACTIVE OUTDOORS OR, YOU KNOW, TRY TO LIMIT THAT ACTIVITY? ERIKA YOU banger THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, YOU KNOW, THE RISK IS MORE FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS. BUT FOR ALL THE REST OF US, THAT’S RISK IS STILL THERE. IT’S JUST A LOWER LEVEL HEALTHY ADULTS, ADULTS WITHOUT UNDERLYING CONDITIONS, WE’RE LESS LIKELY TO FEEL IMMEDIATE EFFECTS, BUT WE CAN STILL HAVE RUNNY EYES, COUGHING, HEADACHES AND A SORE THROAT. SO IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE TODAY, IT’S PROBABLY A GOOD DAY TO STAY INSIDE. ALL RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE THE EXPERTISE. DOCTOR ALI RAJA, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

Boston haze prompts air quality warning, expert shares health advice

Updated: 5:46 PM EDT Aug 4, 2025

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Massachusetts faces an air quality alert as wildfire smoke blankets Boston. Dr. Ali Raja, the head of emergency medicine at Mass General, advises sensitive groups to stay indoors, while healthy individuals face minimal risk.

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