Sunday 29/March/2026 – 05:31 PM
The US Environmental Protection Agency issued a widespread warning in Texas and New Mexico about the spread of toxic air, and the air over two vast areas in the South, inhabited by about 1.3 million people, was classified as unhealthy or dangerous to breathe.
According to what was published in the British newspaper Daily Mail, the spread of these cases is attributed to air pollution known as fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These microscopic particles are small enough to penetrate deeply into the lungs, causing inflammation, difficulty breathing and other health problems when inhaled. More than a million Americans have been warned to avoid outdoor activities and close their windows as the air quality near the southern border of the United States has reached dangerous levels.
More than a million Americans are warned to stay home due to the spread of toxic air
Hazardous clouds cover large cities in Texas, including El Paso, Lubbock, Midland and Odessa, and in New Mexico, major communities such as Hobbs, Carlsbad and Deming are among the areas at risk, according to US Environmental Protection Agency data.
Air quality tracking site IQAir recorded a large patch of hazardous air over the south, and noted that multiple pollution-causing fires were reported just outside Odessa, with local wind patterns pushing hazardous particles northward. IQAir stations in Odessa also reported that PM2.5 levels were more than 18 times higher than safe limits recommended by the World Health Organization.
The EPA warned that many areas within the region have been deemed hazardous to human health, the worst rating the agency gives for air quality measurements, and anyone inside the two massive clouds, which each extend 200 miles south, was urged to close their windows to avoid polluted outside air, avoid outdoor exercise, and wear a face mask when leaving the house.
