Wildfire smoke exposure compared to smoking half a pack of cigarettes daily
7 reported
Smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota prompted air quality alerts Friday in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest U.S., according to NPR. Michigan issued a statewide air quality advisory Wednesday, and Minnesota’s air quality reached the hazardous “purple” alert level. The smoke is setting records in Wisconsin and turning skies orange in Vermont. New York City will see more smoke after a brief respite Friday morning. A pulmonologist at UCLA compares breathing wildfire smoke to smoking a quarter to half a pack of cigarettes a day when air quality index levels reach 100 to 200. The article notes that human-caused climate change is increasing the risk and intensity of wildfires and the smoke that drifts downwind.
What’s reported
Air quality alerts were issued Friday in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Upper Midwest U.S. due to smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.
Michigan issued a statewide air quality advisory on Wednesday; Minnesota’s air quality reached the hazardous “purple” alert level.
On Friday morning, the AQI in Detroit was 435, the worst for any major city in the world.
May-Lin Wilgus, a pulmonologist at UCLA, states that at AQI levels of 100 to 200, exposure to fine particulate matter is similar to smoking a quarter to half a pack of cigarettes a day.
Emergency room visits for respiratory issues like asthma and COPD can double during wildfire smoke events; during the 2023 Canadian wildfires, asthma ER visits increased by nearly 20%.
Wildfire smoke exposure is linked to higher risks of preterm birth, lower birth weights, and long-term risks such as dementia.
The article recommends staying indoors with windows shut, limiting physical activity, running an air filter, and wearing an N95 mask if going outside.
Key figures
May-Lin Wilgus, pulmonologist and professor at UCLA
Tarik Benmarhnia, climate and health scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego
Lisa Miller, wildfire smoke expert at UC Davis
Sources: NPR
