How to Protect Yourself From the Worst Effects of Poor Air Quality

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Don't like ads? Go ad-free with TradeBriefs Premium How to Protect Yourself From the Worst Effects of Poor Air Quality    It’s been a difficult few weeks for many in the northeastern United States, as smoke from wildfires in Canada settled in the region in early June and quickly created hazardous air-quality conditions in New York; Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Baltimore; and more cities. Sadly, the situation has continued: as of Thursday, June 20, Chicago and Detroit have some of the worst air quality in the world, and New York is once again bracing for its AQI (air quality index) to fluctuate between “moderate” and “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Nicole Bouvier-Brown: As heat events last longer at higher temperatures, more moisture is sucked out of vegetation. The dry vegetation is more flammable. In addition, climate patterns are shifting so that higher latitudes are experiencing warmer temperatures than usual. Some ecosystems keep bugs out with normal freezing events; for example, bark beetle infestations are much more common when there is an absence of freezing events. When insects that burrow into vegetation flourish, there is an increased amount of dead vegetation. Dead vegetation, like dry vegetation, is much more flammable. The fires take the carbon once stored in the vegetation and puts it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide very quickly.  Bouvier-Brown: Smoke is harmful because it is made up of a lot of tiny particles. The best way to protect yourself from inhaling particles is using a filter. A filter can physically block the particles from coming into the house, for example. We got really good at wearing masks to prevent COVID-19 virus particles from spreading; we can also use these masks to prevent the inhalation of smoke particles. It all depends on the pore size of the filter—it must be smaller than the particle itself so that it can block the particle’s passage.  Continued here

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