health risks and how to protect yourself during this year’s el niño wildfire season
6 minute read
for people living in the vicinity of wildfires, knowing who your local authorities, first responders and other advisory committees are is a great way to keep tabs on danger levels.
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each year during wildfire season, there are an average of 8,000 wildland fires burning. while the flames rage on, the enormous amounts of smoke, hazardous gases and fine particulate matter from the blaze rise into the air, degrading air quality.
since it’s impossible to avoid breathing, people are subject to inhaling everything that’s left in the air during these wildfires. it can be severely detrimental to overall health.
people can experience symptoms from inhalation, such as coughing, irritated eyes, and even flare-ups of preexisting skin conditions like eczema. but there are also long-term consequences that many people may not be privy to.
“they can have difficulty breathing and also escalate and increase the bad outcomes with heart disease, heart attacks, strokes,” said dr. wynne armand, primary care physician at mass general brigham and associate director for the mass general brigham centre for environment and health.
there is also an association between air quality and pollution with preterm labour, cancer, and “a number of diseases, even autoimmune disease, because of the inflammatory responses and pathways.”
“it’s actually quite a long list of how wildfire pollution and pollution in general can actually affect our health in the longer term,” said dr. armand.
experts warn of potential for severe season
all wildfire seasons are cause for concern when it comes to air quality and health, but this year may be particularly bad because of several other environmental issues that are happening. for example, a developing el niño may cause already concerning droughts to persist, alongside rising temperatures. heat and drier conditions are the perfect storm for wildfires to spread, especially in british columbia and northern canada, leading to more air pollution.
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even though the worst of it is likely to be contained in the northern and western parts of the country, that doesn’t mean that no one else will be affected.
“because of jet streams and shifting conditions in the weather, the impact of the air quality can be seen even thousands of miles away,” said dr. armand. “we’re talking across the span of the americas. it can definitely have a far-reaching impact.”
what does this mean for your health? well, it depends. exposure to poor air quality will vary widely, and that will determine the extent to which people feel the effects.
being aware of the risks
those living closer to areas where wildfires burn are at greater risk because air quality tends to be much worse. when considering health effects, long-term exposure to polluted air can increase the risk of several diseases. for example, lung and brain cancer risk is heightened, as are cardiovascular diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
people living near the fires also have mental health to worry about.
“of course, if your home is destroyed and you can’t live there, there’s a whole host of things, too, that can affect your well-being and your health and access to healthcare,” said dr. armand. “we are only now doing more research to recognize all this, but also, patients and people may not know about these associations.”
people in these areas who belong to vulnerable populations also see the risk heightened across the board. from adults who are in their later years to young children whose bodies are still growing, both age groups can experience worsened outcomes when exposed to severe levels of air pollution from wildfires.
the risk is especially high for older adults because of “their comorbidities, their other health conditions, but also it’s even their mobility.”
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but it’s not just the older and younger.
“they [pregnant individuals] are also more at risk both in terms of their outcome during childbirth and also the baby that is born. i would also think that people who have pre-existing conditions, both heart and lung, and people who have to work outdoors, the first responders or people who work in agriculture or construction, who are in the elements much more and people who have less access to resources,” said dr. armand. “so, generally, people who have lower socioeconomic status have fewer ways to protect themselves, and that makes them also more at risk.”
because the season may also bring heat waves driven by el niño, heat mixed with air pollution can increase the risk of short- and long-term health issues. while heat illness is a top concern, it’s not the only thing people have to worry about. dr. armand also notes that she sees an increase in emergency visits, hospitalizations, kidney injury and heart attacks during those hot months.
when combining intense heat with poor air pollution, things only get worse.
“when you take the two and put them together, it’s not just an added effect. in fact, when you take the days that have the highest temperatures, the highest heat index, as well as the days that have the worst air quality, the health outcomes are much more magnified.”
acknowledge the risks while knowing how to protect yourself
knowing the risks of wildfire season is the first step toward protecting yourself from its ill effects. for people living in the vicinity of wildfires, knowing who your local authorities, first responders and other advisory committees are is a great way to keep tabs on danger levels. they can also download apps that record real-time data on temperature and air quality and sign up for an emergency alert system.
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if there is no immediate threat in terms of fire, it’s important to “keep your air and environment as healthy as possible.”
this can involve ensuring that you have high-efficiency air filters in your home, air purifiers, if needed, and air conditioner filters that keep harmful particles out. you want to make sure that if you’re using an air purifier, it’s the right size for the room it’s in and find a clean room to spend more time that may have fewer windows.
in some cases, people should also be aware of what they bring into their homes.
“if you are amidst wildfires, taking off your shoes outside, things like that, because a lot of the particles and things that the soot and everything else that’s left over can be tracked and brought inside your home,” said dr. armand.
“and then, not generating more air pollutants while you’re inside. so, many it’s no longer cooking with your gas stove during a fire, or when there’s bad air quality, not burning incense candles, not vacuuming and things like that, that is going to actually circulate more dust and more particles and make your indoor air worse than it needs to be.”
knowing when to see a medical provider is also important after exposure.
“if somebody has symptoms, definitely right there is going to be a warning that their health is being affected,” said dr. armand. “this is going to be different depending on who we’re talking about … but generally, the usual type of symptoms are either confusion or difficulty breathing or chest pain, light-headedness. those are all things that are much more urgent as opposed to maybe it it’s your eyes are burning, and you have a little tickle [in your throat].”
it’s important to have these conversations with a healthcare provider before it happens, so you’re ready to act if you develop symptoms, because “having your team directly instruct you” is the best way to handle any emergency that pops up.
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finally, being part of the solution won’t directly improve your health, but it can prevent wildfires from worsening.
“a lot of the fires can be started by human activity,” said dr. armand. “even something like a lawn mower spark or camping in an area where you probably shouldn’t be lighting up anything. so, i think being very cautious about how we might be contributing to the problem.”
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