Photo of person wearing a mask outside due to poor air quality
There are currently 116 active wildfires in the province of Alberta and with those fires, thick clouds of smoke drift thousands of kilometers away from their source.
These thick layers of smoke also create a greenhouse effect in the atmosphere causing temperatures to rise to dangerous levels leading to heat exhaustion and stroke.
While Albertans try to keep cool, the quality of air drops exponentially which can have long term effects on one’s health.
What makes the air quality dangerous is a particle found in the smoke called Fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
PM2.5 can be found in various in burning fuels like wood, coal, burning tobacco, and aerosols.
There are no known active studies on how the effects of forest fire smoke cause on those inhaling the haze, Health Canada says the effect can be similar to the long-term effects of second-hand smoking.
Ways, you can protect yourself from poor air quality caused by forest fires is by; checking daily air quality alerts in your local area, wearing N95 filtered face masks, and by staying indoors to escape the heat.
Opel Vuzi, Regional Air Quality Specialist for Alberta and Northern Canada says that the risk of overheating can often be more dangerous than haze from forest fires.
If the windows must be opened due to elevated temperatures indoors at a residence in building that do not have air conditioning or poor circulation, it is recommended that to have air purifiers in your home that are certified by Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.
More information about indoor air quality appliances can be found on the government of Canada’s website.
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