Nicotine kills. This statement may have made many of us decide not to smoke or to quit smoking. However, it turns out that just breathing outside air can be just as wreaking havoc on our health.
What happened?
The impacts of rising Earth temperatures, especially wildfires, pose a significant threat to human health.
Over the past two decades, U.S. air quality has improved thanks to policies like the Clean Air Act. However, increased frequency and severity of wildfires due to rising temperatures are eliminating most fires, said Marshall Burke, associate professor of earth system science at Stanford University.
A study by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment reported that 15 to 20 years ago, only 10% of PM2.5 pollution (respirable particles 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller) came from wildfire smoke, but in recent years, levels have risen to 25% nationally and 50% in the West during years with frequent fires.
Why is this growth concerning?
The higher the PM2.5 content in the air, the worse the air quality index (AQI). Kari Nadeau, professor of pediatric food allergy, immunology and asthma at Stanford University, explained that an AQI measurement of 20 from wildfire smoke is equivalent to smoking one cigarette a day, while an AQI of 150 for several consecutive days (if someone has been outdoors) is equivalent to smoking seven cigarettes a day.
She further noted that polluted air can leak in even if you stay indoors. Furthermore, the analogy doesn’t take into account that toxins in the air—such as those produced by burning cars and buildings—can cause harm from wildfires beyond those of cigarettes.
Exposure to wildfire smoke for more than five days can cause stroke and damage to the lungs, blood and heart, with marginalized groups, children, people over 65 and pregnant women at higher risk.
What steps can you take to protect yourself from wildfire smoke?
Stay indoors as much as possible and use HEPA air filters in your home. If you must go out, wear a mask and limit your movements.
Looking at the bigger picture, we can work to reduce the frequency and severity of wildfires by avoiding the use of single-use plastics, integrating clean energy in our homes, and limiting the burning of methane gas by taking public transportation, riding a bike, or upgrading to an electric vehicle to slow the planet’s overheating.
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