Just Wondering: What’s with the Air Quality in Minnesota?

Leading experts share insights about why the Air Quality Index has been so high and ways to protect your health.

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If you’ve walked outdoors and wondered why the sky looks foggy and the air tastes like smoke, you can thank a recent increase in wildfires and ozone pollution, which has caused air quality alerts to skyrocket both locally and nationally.

From June 14–16, Minnesota air quality reached the worst levels since the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency began documenting air quality data in 1980, shortly preceded by New York’s burnt-orange skies and air quality reaching hazardous levels.

Local experts say we should expect similarly poor air quality throughout the season, due to an unusually dry summer without precipitation resulting in an increased risk for wildfires.

Here’s what you should know about air quality in Minnesota, and how to protect your health in the event of an air quality alert.

How is air quality measured?

The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures pollutants including fine particles, ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The pollutant with the highest AQI value—calculated by converting the concentration of pollution to a uniform index based on health impact—determines the overall AQI score, which ranges from zero to more than 300.

A colored scale categorizes the indexes into easily understood levels: good (0–50), moderate (51­–100), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101–150), unhealthy (151–200), very unhealthy (201–300), and hazardous (greater than 300). When the AQI reaches “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” the agency issues an air quality alert. 

How do you find the current Air Quality Index?

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency provides hourly updates on the AQI map on their website (pca.state.mn.us) as well as a three-day forecast. You can also sign up to get air quality notifications on your mobile phone or email through sites such as EnviroFlash.

“Knowing the AQI level can help you implement the best strategies to limit your exposure to air pollution and protect your family,” says Kristin Raab, supervisor of the Environmental Impacts Analysis Unit and director of the Minnesota Climate and Health Program at the Minnesota Department of Health.

What’s causing the poor air quality?

“Across Minnesota, we’re back into a significant drought,” says Matt Taraldsen, a supervisory meteorologist at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “The longer we go without having rain, the more likely it is that we’re going to have some sort of large fire in or immediately around Minnesota.”

Wildfires in Canada, plus a cold front pushing through Minnesota, resulted in mid-June’s poor air quality, but Taraldsen points out it’s not the first time Minnesota has seen such poor air quality. The largest wildfire in northeastern Minnesota, the Greenwood Fire—which blazed through more than 25,000 acres of the Superior National Forest in 2021—set the record for the longest continuous air quality alert for 11 days and 13 hours, which reached the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” level of the AQI scale.

Just six years prior in 2015, Canadian wildfires also led to poor air quality in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, air pollution "played a role" in 10 percent of all deaths in the Twin Cities that year and was a "major factor" in about 500 hospitalizations and emergency room visits. (A report released in 2019, titled "Life and Breath: How Air Pollution Affects Health in Minnesota," broadened the scope of the 2015 analysis and detailed the impact of air pollution on health with a regional lens.) 

Wildfires and ozone pollution are, in general, increasing, Taraldsen says. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, wildfires are becoming more common as a result of climate change, which has lengthened wildfire season, wildfire frequency, and the amount of burned area, and will continue to increase “the frequency, extent, and severity of fires through increased temperatures and drought,” according to the agency.

“Conditions are very favorable for large fires this summer,” Taraldsen says. “And it’s something we’re definitely watching very closely.”

What are the health impacts of poor air quality?

Dr. Caroline Davis, a pulmonologist at Hennepin Healthcare, says poor air quality can cause both short- and long-term problems for your lungs and overall health.

“Recently, what we have seen is an increase in very small particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter, also known as PM2.5,” she explains. “This is released from wildfire smoke, combustion of gas, oil, or diesel fuel, and can travel deep into the lung. Increases in PM2.5 cause more hospitalizations for lung symptoms, including shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.”

Poor air quality can make asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) worse for those who already have it; it leads to more hospitalizations for heart diseases; and it can cause the development of asthma and COPD in adults and children, Dr. Davis adds.

Breathing in fine particles can also lead to illnesses such as bronchitis, or it can aggravate existing conditions such as chronic heart and lung diseases, which in turn can trigger heart palpitations, asthma attacks, heart attacks, and strokes.

People who are pregnant, older adults, young children and infants, and people with asthma, heart issues, lung issues, heart disease, high blood pressure, and/or diabetes should limit their time outdoors and consider wearing a mask when the air quality is moderate.

Simple Tips to Stay Safe When There’s an Air Quality Alert

  1. Reduce your time outdoors. If it’s an option, try to work from home. Reduce the number of trips you take outside of your home or work.
  2. Keep windows and doors shut. If you’re concerned about the air quality in your home, use an air filtration device with a HEPA filter, preferably one rated with Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) of 13 or higher, as recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency. Avoid air filtration devices that use ozone, which can be an irritant to the lungs. If you don’t have a portable air purifier, consider a DIY option.
  3. If you go outdoors, wear a mask. The best masks have multiple layers of filtration, such as a N95 or KN95. A surgical or cloth mask can help but will not filter out fine particles as well.
  4. Watch out for symptoms of health issues. Poor air quality can affect any part of the respiratory tract, from the nose to the lower lungs. You might notice symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, headache, or a burning or scratchy throat. The most concerning symptoms are chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, or cough. If you are having a lot of trouble breathing, chest pain, or other symptoms that are getting worse, consider calling your doctor, coming into urgent care or the emergency room to be evaluated.
  5. Avoid activities that increase indoor air pollution. Avoid smoking, frying, or broiling food, burning candles and incense, using a gas stove, and vacuuming. All these activities can increase indoor air pollution, Raab says.
  6. Stay up to date with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s AQI map. “We know it impacts a lot of people and even on days where there's not alerts, we still have that information available to you,” Taraldsen says.

How does this impact local wildlife and people who are unhoused?

“Everyone can be impacted,” Taraldsen says, “especially people who are exposed for long durations.”

While there are few ways to help wildlife (except preventing climate change in the first place), Taraldsen recommends keeping pets indoors as much as possible during an air quality alert. He notes that some animals are impacted differently than other animals, simply due to the biology and resilience of various species.  

People experiencing homelessness should seek refuge indoors (preferably in public facilities with air conditioning and air filtration, such as a library, community center, movie theater, or mall) as much as possible, as the length of exposure to poor air quality is significant.

This also applies to people who do longer or more vigorous physical activity outdoors, Raab says, such as workers who engage in manual labor, people who exercise or play sports outdoors, people who don’t have air conditioning, and people in housing setups that are unable to keep unhealthy air out (such as shelters with tight quarters).

How can you be proactive when it comes to air quality?

“People who are more sensitive to air pollution, such as people with asthma, can work with their doctor to create a plan to implement when the air becomes unhealthy,” Raab says. “This can help them make sure they have medications, air filters, or other protection strategies in place to keep them healthy.”

Locally and across the state, there are several ways to become civically involved when it comes to climate change and air pollution. Consider your personal impact on the environment, and look for ways to minimize impact. Follow the Department of Natural Resources’s advice on avoiding wildfires, which can be caused by campfires, smoking, debris burning, and more. Encourage large businesses and corporations, as well as local businesses, to make more eco-friendly decisions.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has a section of their website titled “What’s In My Neighborhood,” which provides environmental information about your community, including previously contaminated properties; facilities with environmental permits and registrations; facilities that have been penalized for environmental violations, environmental projects under review; emergency management activities; and pollution prevention projects.

The first step to solving air quality issues is to care about the environment, air pollution, and your local community.

For more information about air quality in Minnesota, visit the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s website.

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