CHICAGO (WLS) — An Air Quality Alert remains in effect Friday due to smoke from Canadian wildfires.

The alert remains in effect for the area until midnight Friday.

ABC7 Accuweather Meteorologist Tracy Butler reported that the poorest air quality is expected during the morning hours, with conditions improving as particulate matter begins to lessen by the afternoon.

On Friday morning, air quality levels were deemed unhealthy for sensitive individuals, such as those with asthma. The previous day, much of the region experienced air quality that was considered unhealthy for the general population.

A tracker with the latest updates on air quality levels for areas across the state can be found on the AirNow government website.

Who is at risk?

Children, and those with pulmonary or respiratory diseases such as asthma, are recommended to limit their time outdoors.

“If it’s visible, then guess what? You’re inhaling it, so caution is necessary,” stated Dr. Juanita Mora, who is the National Medical Spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

The warning is a result of the smoke from Canadian wildfires, bringing potentially dangerous pollutants with it to the Midwest.

“For those group of patients or people, we recommend that they avoid being outdoors right now because that can create some potential breathing problems, particularly for people who have lung disease or heart disease,” said Dr. Momen Wahidi, a Northwestern Medicine Pulmonologist.

Doctors also recommended for people to wear a mask if they have to be outside as the haze lingers, and when they get home, make sure to change clothes, shower, and do whatever possible to get any pollutants off.