PACIFIC PALISADES, CA – JANUARY 07: Residents evacuate their homes as a wildfire sparked by gusts of wind … [+]
Multiple wildfires have exploded in the Los Angeles area, with the Palisades fire consuming 3,000 acres, the Eaton fire more than 10,000 hectaresand the Hurst Fire. Santa Ana wind speeds up to 80 km/hourand a drought with less than 0.3 inches of rain since May are fueling the explosive fires.
Smoking advice applies to 17 million people in the region South Coast Air Quality Management District. The Environmental Protection Agency declares hazardous conditions in downtown Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Monterey Park and East LA. Fortunately, the immediate threat will not spread across the country as the Santa Ana winds carry the ash and smoke westward into the sea. In contrast, last year’s fires in Canada led to dangerous air pollution spreading to New York City.
Health effects of wildfire smoke
Most of the immediate health hazards from the fires are due to fine PM2.5 particles in the air. Unlike larger particles, PM2.5 particles (2.5 microns in diameter, just a fraction of a human hair) are so fine that they can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.
Even early on, the American Lung Association warned about this last year 131 million people lived with unhealthy air.
One like that PM2.5 pollution is linked to asthma attacks, bronchitis, heart attacks and premature deaths. Pregnant women may be at particular risk. Dr. Afif El-Hasan, a pediatrician and board member of the American Lung Association, said the women would likely have more difficulty breathing from the irritants because of their smaller lung volumes and would be at greater risk of premature labor.
With so many homes and vehicles burning in LA, this fire will likely cause even worse health problems. The burning electronics, paint, plastics and metals will release other toxins and cause inflammation, causing more asthma and scarring of the lungs. This free report from National Academies Press, The chemistry of fires at the wildland-urban interfacecontains extensive details about these chemicals and their effects.
In addition to the acute problems, research by the Marshall Fire in Colorado showed that chemicals stuck to walls and continued to release gas for months after smoke and ash blew into homes. Researchers found “increased levels of metals and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the ash. We have also found increased VOCs — volatile organic compounds — in airborne samples. Some VOCs, such as dioxins, benzene, formaldehyde And PAHscan be poisonous to humans. Benzene is one known carcinogen.” Some of the later risks include cancer and… dementia.
Even two years after the Marshall fire, 33% of people whose homes were affected still had symptoms they attributed to the fire.
Reduce your health risks from smoke
To stay as safe as possible, we need to monitor air quality through sites like AirNow. Because health risks persist after fires, “everyone should have air filters in their homes,” El-Hasan says. In addition to a HEPA filter, he said, it should also have a “legitimate carbon filter to help neutralize and capture some of these other chemicals that can hurt us.” He emphasizes that people should “change the filters for their central air and central heating and keep them up to date.”
People who go outside must wear an N-95 or N-100 mask. Surgical masks are inadequate because they let in too much unfiltered air through the sides. Since preventing infection isn’t the goal here, El-Hasan is a particular fan of the ventilated N-95s, which are easier to inhale for people who work outdoors.
Children who are too young to wear masks should be kept indoors as much as possible. “If your upper airways are irritated, you’re a little bit functionally immunocompromised,” notes El-Hasan. “You are more susceptible to diseases.” He also urges people to stay up to date on vaccinations and keep children away from people who are sick. Finally, he warns, don’t run out of medications and inhalers.
Los Angeles is one of the cities that, along with New York City, has considered implementing a mask ban. Perhaps the current bushfires and dangerous smoke, in addition to the ongoing Covid epidemic, will make them reconsider. In all of this, the focus must be on public health and the greater good for the general public.
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