How bad is the air quality in YOUR area? Millions are smoking the equivalent of 25 cigarettes a day

Health experts are warning millions of people to remain indoors and avoid exposure to the hazardous smog engulfing the East Coast. 

New York City has become one of the worst polluted cities in the world due to the smoke, which is the result of over 400 untamed wildfires burning over the Canadian border. 

After first descending on New York City on Wednesday morning, the smoke continued spreading through the evening across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A southern wind is set to sweep through several Mid-Atlantic states Thursday, with the fog forecast to cover Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington and the Carolinas. 

The smoke is made up of dangerous nanoparticles small enough to penetrate into the bloodstream, and people have reported side effects including irritation to the eyes and throat and breathing problems. 

A study from Berkeley University found that increased air pollution levels can be catastrophic, with some Northeast residents currently breathing air that is equivalent to smoking an entire pack of cigarettes through the day. 

The level of air pollution has caused some Americans to breathe air equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. Figures saw 64 AQI points equal one cigarette, correct as of Thursday morning 

A jogger braves the poor air quality in New York as the sun rises over the One World Trade Center on Thursday morning

A map of the impact the wildfire smoke has had upon air quality levels across the East Coast. Purple sections are deemed 'hazardous', red is 'unhealthy', orange is 'unhealthy for sensitive groups', and yellow is 'moderate' 

The unmissable smokey hue brought fears that millions of Americans could be at risk from air pollution, particularly the elderly, pregnant women and children. 

And the level of risk to a person's respiratory health can be equated to the risk of smoking cigarettes, with the internationally recognized Air Quality Index (AQI) scores used to quantify the danger. 

AQI scores measure the safety of breathing the atmosphere by monitoring particles smaller than 2.5 microns in size, alongside factors including wind speed and temperature. 

Scores range from 0 to 500, with anything over 300 considered 'hazardous' - a level that has been hit by numerous East Coast metros in the last few days. 

On Thursday, the worst affected area was Windsor Township - about 70 miles west of Philadelphia - which came in with a shocking rating of 457. That dwarfs the notoriously foul air in Delhi, India with a rating of 316.

According to an online calculator created via the Berkeley University study, it was found that an AQI score of 64 translates to one cigarette smoked in a 24-hour period. 

Air Quality Index scores across America soared in recent days, with many cities climbing past 200 - deemed to be in the 'very unhealthy' range 

The smoky yellow haze enveloped New York City on Wednesday, June 7

New York's Yankee Stadium pictured under the hazy conditions ahead of a game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox, which has since been postponed due to poor air quality

NYC: The Brooklyn Bridge is seen during dusk amid hazy conditions in the early hours of Thursday morning 

When scaled up, this calculation found that the city of Harrisburg, PA, which was one of the worst hit areas Thursday, notched a score of 361 AQI. 

This meant Harrisburg residents were breathing air equivalent to smoking 18 cigarettes, a disturbing figure only beaten by Lancaster, PA, which hit 25 cigarettes. 

In Wilmington, Delaware, the air quality dropped to the same as smoking around 10 cigarettes, and Arlington, Virginia matched nine. 

Non-smokers in Washington DC will be displeased to hear their air was the same as 11 cigarettes, while New York City hit six. 

All figures to calculate the level of pollution were taken as of Thursday morning, and several cities saw their AQI scores vary throughout the day. 

Pandemic-era masks were back again in New York City after health officials urged residents to protect against the pollution 

WASHINGTON, DC: Members of the Marine Corps honor color guard rehearse as the sun rises over a thick layer of smoke, Thursday, June 8, 2023

The emergence of the smoke saw one large New York City hospital group told DailyMail.com that they were seeing a few people coming in with eye or throat irritation, chest pain, or shortness of breath. 

Speaking during a state visit from UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President Joe Biden said he is sending over 600 firefighters and personnel to Canada to help battle the wildfires. 

'Yesterday I spoke with Prime Minister Trudeau and offered any additional help Canada needs to rapidly accelerate the effort to put out these fires, particularly those in Quebec, where the fires are having the most direct impacts on American communities,' he said in a statement. 

'I have directed the National Interagency Fire Center to respond promptly to Canadian requests for additional firefighters and fire suppression assets such as air tankers. 

'I’ve asked Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg to keep me informed about his progress in ensuring that we proactively manage the air traffic implications of the deteriorated air quality based on lessons learned from prior incidents. 

'Stay safe and follow the guidance of your local officials.'