record-breaking wildfires raise questions about health impact on canadians
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while the short-term effects of this exposure can include headaches, burning eyes and sore throats there isn’t a ton of reliable research to inform canadians on the long-term risks.
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as canada’s wildfire season reaches its traditional peak, plumes of smoke have cast a long shadow over the country. and while the smoke from the record-breaking blazes can carry serious health risks, many canadians find themselves unprepared or unaware of how to protect themselves and their families.
the damage is disconcerting: over 130,000 square kilometres have been set ablaze so far and an estimated 290 million tons of carbon — twice the country’s previous annual record — has already been released into the atmosphere. as of last week, there were more than a thousand fires actively burning, over 600 of which were considered out of control. the ensuing smoke has darkened skies across the continent and travelled all the way to europe.
as unprecedented as these developments may feel, sarah henderson, the scientific director of environmental health services at the b.c. centre for disease control, says the rest of the country is just getting a look at what they’ve been seeing for decades. “there’s a lot of desire to believe that our current wildfire situation is due to climate change and that’s not entirely incorrect but it’s also not entirely correct,” henderson says. “what we have happening in canada is the intersection of decades of forest management choices with climate trends.”
the manner in which canada has harvested and replanted many of its forest resources over the years has resulted in a buildup of fuel on the landscape that does not mimic the natural forests that were there before. “this carbon bubble is intersecting with three things wildfires love — hot, dry wind,” says henderson, one of canada’s foremost experts on the subject. “together, these factors are leading to explosive wildfire trends.”
assessing the health impact of wildfires
determining the effect these developments will have on the short and long-term health of canadians is no easy task. wildfire smoke is much more complex than other, better studied forms of air pollution — such as motor vehicle emissions, which remain relatively constant through space and time. if you live near a busy intersection, your exposure is generally going to be about the same on a daily basis. exposure to wildfire smoke, on the other hand, can vary wildly as the smoke can include any number of dangerous co-pollutants depending on the materials that were burned.
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decades of regulations have also ensured that many other forms of air pollution are no longer as toxic as they once were. “we don’t have that control over wildfire.” henderson says. “so, what we see is that wildfire smoke is becoming a larger and larger part of the total air pollution exposure of people living in canada and in some cases — especially in western canada — it’s going to start dominating people’s lifetime exposure to air pollution.”
while the short-term effects of this exposure can include headaches, burning eyes and sore throats, there isn’t a ton of reliable research to inform canadians on the long-term risks. it is clear, however, that certain people are more vulnerable than others. “the canaries in the coal mine for wildfire smoke are people with chronic obstructive respiratory diseases, like asthma and copd,” henderson says. “the smoke is very irritating for populations with those kinds of conditions.”
there’s also considerable concern for people who are pregnant. “overall, we’re seeing that wildfire smoke exposure early in pregnancy may be associated with pregnancy loss, stillbirth later in pregnancy, preterm birth, lower birth weight term and lower birth weight,” henderson says. “there’s also evidence that these prenatal exposures actually affect the health of infants throughout their young life and childhood.”
plan ahead to protect the health of you and your family
as the country’s wildfires become more intense and unpredictable, the best thing canadians can do to keep their loved ones safe is to plan ahead. “we know now that any given summer could be a gonzo wildfire season,” henderson says. “if you’re not going into summer prepared to protect your own health and the health of your family, you’re missing an opportunity to become more climate resilient.”
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this includes being aware of who in your family is most susceptible to smoke exposure and making plans to mitigate that risk. anyone with asthma should have a management plan they’ve worked out with their doctor. similarly, anybody with a form of cardiovascular disease that could be exacerbated by exposure should be talking to their clinician to find ways to account for their condition when skies turn smoky.
it’s also important to take a good look at your indoor environment and find ways to reduce exposure as much as possible. “most of us spend the vast majority of our time indoors,” says henderson, who recommends investing in a relatively cheap but effective air quality monitor, such as the kind found at ikea. “if you just go inside and close your doors and windows, the smoke still gets in pretty well. we really recommend that you run some sort of air cleaning device to help remove those particles from the indoor air, either through a whole home or even one room of the home so that there’s a refuge that’s relatively smoke free.”
when you have no choice but to venture out, a well-fitted respirator, such as an n95 or kn95, can be effective at filtering out smoke particles if worn properly. to get a better idea of what you may be getting yourself into, the university of northern british columbia maintains an air quality application that provides good information about the quality of air across the country.
perhaps most important is to consider the sorts of activities you engage in once you’re outside. “you want to be thinking about where you’re breathing and how you can reduce your exposure,” henderson says. “if you’re just chilling, you’re breathing maybe six litres of air per minute. if you go for a run, you’re breathing maybe 60 litres of air per minute.”
raising awareness will produce better health outcomes
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ultimately, it can be challenging to talk about the health risks of wildfire smoke in a country that has grown up around them. raising awareness of the risks involved is an essential part of changing these perceptions and keeping everyone safe.
“many people think it’s like sitting in front of a campfire, which also isn’t good for you,” henderson says. “in canada, we’re really comfortable with wood smoke in all sorts of ways. it seems like an extension of the canadian context but we need to clearly communicate that this is a form of air pollution and it’s not good for you.”
so, as upsetting as it is to see smoke from half a continent away settle in above your city, this year’s wildfire season has certainly helped increase the sense of urgency surrounding the issue. “this was one of the first big wildfire smoke events experienced across eastern canada,” henderson says. “sometimes you need an event like this to kind of kick-start preparation.”
one approach henderson has found helpful is to go into every wildfire season thinking it will be the worst one the country has ever experienced. “it’s great if it’s not — truly wonderful — but that’s how we should be preparing,” she says.
“people talk about the new normal; i don’t like that phrase because this isn’t normal. we don’t know what’s going to come at us but we need to be prepared every summer for some of the worst conditions we’ve ever seen. we need to prepare for the idea that the smoke might be record-breaking, the fires might be record-breaking, the heat might be record-breaking because, quite honestly, those are the conditions we’ve been under for the past few decades.”
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
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