13 Sep 2020. West Coast. Portland’ air quality index (AQI) reaches 516 (vs. East Coast: 14) after 100-day chaotic restlessness

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The breathability of Portland’s air significantly worsened overnight and into Sunday, reaching 516 on the air quality index in the hardest hit parts of the city, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
That measurement is off the charts, which top out at 300 to 500 and categorize those numbers as “hazardous.”…high enough to place Portland in the No. 1 position for worst air quality among major cities in the world.

Measurements fluctuated by the hour and at times Sunday morning Portland was tying with Vancouver, B.C. The West Coast is plagued by extremely smoky air, due to wildfires raging in California, Oregon and Washington. Smoke has drifted as far off as Michigan.

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Image courtesy CNBC and aqicn.org