(MENAFN- IANS) New York, June 9 : As raging wildfires in Canada are continuing to push toxic smoke towards the US East Coast, environmental activists have said that the hazardous air was only exacerbating health risks in vulnerable Black and brown communities, the media reported.

The dangerous air conditions are however, expected to slowly improve over the weekend for millions of people in New York, Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas, CNN said in a report.
The activists have said that for many Black and brown people in low-income communities, air pollution is a problem they already face every day.
According to a 2021 study based on government and census data, people of colour were disproportionately exposed to air pollution from industry, gas-powered vehicles, construction and other sources.
In a separate study, researchers found that Black people breathe 56 per cent more pollution than they cause, whereas White people breathe 17 per cent less population than they make -- underscoring the dire environmental disparity that exists across marginalized groups, CNN reported.
Victoria Sanders, a research analyst for the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, said her organisation is encouraging residents to wear masks and avoid going outside, however, she understands that many New Yorkers work front line, essential jobs, And research shows that Black and Latino Americans are overrepresented in essential jobs, such as warehouse workers.