How exposure to wildfire smoke affects your health

Wildfire seasons are becoming increasingly devastating and damaging to everyone.

Wildfires are dangerous not only to the people and wildlife living immediately around the flames, but also to people nearby who are exposed to heavy smoke. And because smoke can travel long distanceseven people thousands of miles away from the fires can feel their effects.

Scientists are actively learning about the harm associated with wildfire smoke, but early findings suggest that wildfire smoke can have a seriously harmful effect on our short- and long-term health.

The smoke from wildfires contains a mixture of gases, liquids and solid particles. What worries scientists most about wildfire smoke is the fine particulate matter (called PM 2.5), or small pieces of liquid and gas that can linger in the air.

The smallest particles are those that can penetrate deepest into the lungs and cause unpleasant symptoms in the short term – such as coughing or shortness of breath – and more health problems in the long term, explains Colleen Reidan environmental epidemiologist and health geographer at the University of Colorado Boulder.

According to Reid, no level of PM 2.5 is considered safe, but at higher levels the health effects are clearly worse.

These tiny particles can penetrate deep into our lungs and enter the bloodstream, after which they can travel to other organs and cause widespread inflammation, Reid explains. A report found that teenagers who live near wildfires have higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. Smoke from wildfires can cause sore throat, coughing, watery eyes, congestion, headaches, and breathing difficulties or shortness of breath. Smoke particles can also reach the brain and cause cognitive problems.

According to Rosana Aguilera Beckeran environmental health scientist at the University of California, San Diego, people who have asthmarespiratory diseases or COPD are at greatest risk and are more common hospital admissions due to smoke during forest fires. In areas close to forest fires, researchers have a spike in inhaler refills among people who have asthma.

Increase in emergency room visits for cardiovascular events and heart attacks have also been recorded in communities where forest fires occur.

The effects do not disappear once the smoke clears. A study of Montana found that seasons of record high smoke were followed by more severe flu seasons, adding to the growing body of evidence that wildfire smoke can make people more susceptible to viruses and infections.

The long-term health consequences associated with exposure to wildfire smoke have not been sufficiently studied, largely because it has not been a major problem until recently. In the past, there was a wildfire in which smoke shot into the air for a short time, after which the blocked air disappeared. It wasn’t until the past fire seasons that air quality has been very poor over very large geographic areas for a very long time, Reid said.

But there are some clues. It is thought that there is smoke from wildfires a risk factor for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And through her research, Reid has found that when pregnant people are exposed to wildfire smoke, there is a greater risk of the baby being born prematurely or having a low birth weight.

A study Research in monkeys found that primates exposed to forest fires as babies had poorer lung and immune function later in life. This begs the question, “what happens to children if they are exposed to wildfire smoke while they are still developing,” Becker said.

Evidence looking at the long-term health effects of other forms of air pollution suggests that harmful air can affect our respiratory health, cardiovascular health and our health. neurological health. A study found that children who grew up in areas with polluted air, such as Los Angeles, experience poorer lung function as adults.

“Based on what we know, we can assume there are similar things happening with wildfire smoke,” Reid said, noting that we really need more research specifically on wildfire smoke.

Scientists know the most about smoke exposure in communities close to wildfires. But what happens when that plane travels thousands of miles, as happened this summer when the jet stream brought wildfire smoke from Oregon to the East Coast? According to Reid, there can certainly also be health consequences in these places.

In the past, air pollution traveling long distances was minuscule, but the fires in Oregon and Canada have shown us that wildfire smoke can travel far and in very high concentrations. This is an area that scientists should look at in the coming years. There may be differences in how fresh and older smoke affects our health, but again, no PM level of 2.5 is safe.

Our behavior also plays a role. When a fire breaks out in the West, people are aware of the fire and know to stay indoors. You smell it and you see plumes of smoke flowing into the air. On the East Coast, where there are no plumes or traces of a campfire smell, some people may not take the necessary steps to protect themselves from breathing bad air, Reid said.

You can measure the quality of the air around you by checking your local air quality index (AQI). Reid recommends the app Smoke Sense, which provides an air quality map and recommendations for what you should or shouldn’t do. Air NOW is another tool that sends local alerts about AQIs.

When PM 2.5 levels are high, it’s best to stay indoors and limit your outdoor activities, Becker said. It is fine for most people to exercise at a lower PM 2.5 level, as the benefits of exercise are thought to outweigh the risks.

If you can afford an air purifier, they can be pricey! – buy one with a HEPA filter. Keep your doors and windows closed. Older homes and rental properties tend to be leakier and let in more air pollution. You can also purchase a MERV-13 filter and install it in a box fan or your AC unit. Make sure you clean your car filters regularly as they can collect a lot of particles over time. (You can find a list of filter products certified by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America here.)

If you do go out when PM 2.5 levels are high, bring a mask. N95 masks are the gold standard because they filter all the air you breathe. While surgical masks are less effective, they are ultimately better than not having a barrier between you and the harmful particles in wildfire smoke.