What Wildfire Smoke Does to the Human Body

Massive wildfires raging in eastern Canada are sending huge plumes of smoke across the border, blanketing thousands of square miles in the Northeastern U.S. and Upper Midwest, and casting a haze over skies from Wisconsin and Minnesota to New York. Hundreds of out of control fires are currently burning in Quebec, while authorities have managed to contain two wildfires burning in Nova Scotia. All that smoke isn’t a mere nuisance—it’s a legitimate health hazard, with the widespread plumes prompting air quality alerts from state health agencies. A burning wildfire produces many different kinds of particles, many of which aren’t great for your health. But what health authorities and researchers spend most of their time worrying about are those particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, known as PM2.5—for reference, human hairs range in width of between 17 and 180 micrometers. Our bodies have defenses like nose hairs designed to keep particles from entering our lungs when we breathe, but tiny PM2.5 particles are small enough to get past those barriers and settle in the lungs, which is why they’re of particular concern. From there, they may be able to enter the bloodstream, potentially damaging other parts of the body. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Read more: Why Extreme Heat Plus Pollution Is a Deadly Combination That’s why air quality alerts may warn residents to stay indoors when PM2.5 levels are high, and espe...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized adaptation climate change Environmental Health Explainer healthscienceclimate Source Type: news