Over the last month, wildfires have spread throughout Washington, Oregon, and California. An article from NNY360 from this week points out that the Air Quality Index indicated that pollution in California “spiked to ‘hazardous levels’” and that “in just the last month, fires have generated both the highest readings and most widespread unhealthy levels of fine-particle pollution since continuous monitoring began the late 1990s.”
While this greatly affects the state of people’s homes, it is also extremely hazardous to their health. According to CNN, wildfire “exposure can cause chest pain, a fast heartbeat, or wheezing or bring on an asthma attack.” The article further mentions other symptoms “similar to a sinus infection, such as headaches, sore throat, a runny nose and even tiredness.” Sarah Henderson, an environmental health scientist at the University of British Columbia, also states that smoke particles are treated as viruses, in the human body, but that instead of being defeated by the immune system, the matter remains, which brings long term harmful effects, such as inflammation, which makes humans much more susceptible to diseases. According to BBC, the wildfires form “finer particulates known as PM2.5 and even finer nanoparticles, which are known to be particularly harmful to human health….because the tiny particles….can penetrate the lung membranes when breathed in, damaging the respiratory system and passing into the bloodstream.”
There is also the danger of increased deaths from serious health complications. The World Health Organization recounts that “air pollution accounts for one-quarter of all fatal heart attacks and strokes worldwide, 29% of all lung cancer deaths, more than two-fifths of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and one in six fatal lower respiratory infections.” Not only is the smoke generally terrible for people’s health, but it perpetuates decreased immunity against COVID-19. A National Geographic reports that “exposure to wildfire smoke can prevent a person from fighting off respiratory disease like COVID-19.” The article charts the increase of air pollution to people being more susceptible to these illnesses, which could perpetuate greater spread of the virus and prolong the pandemic overall. There is also a great similarity between the symptoms of COVID-19 to that of irritation from smoke. To distinguish between the two, CBC describes some that are solely COVID symptoms: fever, body aches, chills. But the overlap is with “dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, and a headache.”
CDC recommends that people can keep away smoke from their homes with portable air cleaners, a filtration unit, AC systems, heat pumps, fans, or even window shades. It is important to understand the terrible effects of wildfire smoke not only to save the planet, but ourselves.
Works Cited
“Ambient Air Pollution: Health Impacts.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 25 Sept. 2018, www.who.int/airpollution/ambient/health-impacts/en/.
McKeever, Sarah Gibbens and Amy, and Select footage courtesy of NASA. “How Breathing in Wildfire Smoke Affects the Body.” National Geographic, 16 Sept. 2020, www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/09/how-breathing-wildfire-smoke-affects-the-body/.
Prior, Ryan, and Ashley Strickland. “Wildfire Smoke and Your Health: Do You Need to Worry?” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Sept. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/11/health/wildfire-smoke-health-protection-wellness/index.html.
“Some B.C. Residents Wonder: Are My Symptoms Related to COVID-19, or Wildfire Smoke? | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 14 Sept. 2020, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/covid-wildfire-smoke-symptoms-1.5722395.
TONY BARBOZA & JOSEPH SERNALos Angeles Times (TNS). “Wildfire Smoke Has Choked the Air. How Bad Is It for Californians' Health?” NNY360, 20 Sept. 2020, www.nny360.com/top_stories/wildfire-smoke-has-choked-the-air-how-bad-is-it-for-californians-health/article_57fef6f6-e8d4-5a51-a1b8-31149b5925f7.html.
“The Long Distance Harm Done by Wildfires.” BBC Future, BBC, www.bbc.com/future/article/20200821-how-wildfire-pollution-may-be-harming-your-health.
Written by Keya Mann
Edited by Lucy Ge
Graphics by Karis Kelly
Group advised by Sadia Akbar
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