Wild Forest Fires, Smoke, Fumes, Health Air Cleaner Air Purifier Air Filtration

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What’s in smoke from a wildfire?

Smoke is made up of small particles, gases and water vapor. Water vapor makes up the majority of smoke. The remainder includes carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, irritant volatile organic compounds, air toxics and very small particles.

Is smoke bad for me?

Yes. It’s a good idea to avoid breathing smoke if you can help it. If you are healthy, you usually are not at a major risk from smoke. But there are people who are at risk, including people with heart or lung diseases, such as congestive heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or asthma. Children and the elderly also are more susceptible.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Many areas report EPA’s Air Quality Index for particulate matter, or PM. PM (tiny particles) is one of the biggest dangers from smoke. As smoke gets worse, that index changes -- and so do guidelines for protecting yourself. So listen to your local air quality reports.
• Use common sense. If it looks smoky outside, that’s probably not a good time to go for a run. And it’s probably a good time for your children to remain indoors.
• If you’re advised to stay indoors, keep your windows and doors closed. Run your air conditioner, if you have one. Keep the fresh air intake closed and the filter clean. 
• Help keep particle levels inside lower by avoiding using anything that burns, such as wood stoves and gas stoves – even candles. And don’t smoke. That puts even more pollution in your lungs – and those of the people around you.
• If you have asthma, be vigilant about taking your medicines, as prescribed by your doctor. If you’re supposed to measure your peak flows, make sure you do so. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.

How can I tell when smoke levels are dangerous? I don’t live near a monitor.

Generally, the worse the visibility, the worse the smoke. One can use visibility to help gauge wildfire smoke levels and approximate air quality.

How do I know if I’m being affected?

You may have a scratchy throat, cough, irritated sinuses,
headaches, runny nose and stinging eyes. Children and people with lung diseases may find it difficult to breathe as deeply or vigorously as usual, and they may cough or feel short of breath. People with diseases such as asthma or chronic bronchitis may find their symptoms worsening.

Should I leave my home because of smoke?

The tiny particles in smoke do get inside your home. If smoke levels are high for a prolonged period of time, these particles can build up indoors. If you have symptoms indoors (coughing, burning eyes, runny nose, etc.), talk with your doctor or call your county health department. This is particularly important for people with heart or respiratory diseases, the elderly and children.

Are the effects of smoke permanent?

Healthy adults generally find that their symptoms (runny noses, coughing, etc.) disappear after the smoke is gone.

Do air filters help?

They do. Indoor air filtration devices with HEPA filters can
reduce the levels of particles indoors. Make sure to change your HEPA filter regularly. Don’t use an air cleaner that works by generating ozone. That puts more pollution in your home.

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Forest fires, smoke, fumes, gases, odor, air filtration, air cleaner, air purifier

Health Effects Of Smoke Exposure [air purifier, air cleaner, air scrubber, air filtration models recommended]

Immediate effects of short-term exposure to forest fire smoke include:

• Sore eyes
• Tearing of eyes
• Cough
• Runny nose

Other symptoms often experienced from smoke exposure in combination with physical exhaustion, psychological stress, and poor nutrition include:

• Cold symptoms
• Persistent cough
• Sore throat

Signs of high blood levels of carbon monoxide (CO) include:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Decreased mental function

Intermediate effects exposure to forest fire smoke (from days to weeks) include:

• Lung or airway congestion
• Persistent cough

Smoke exposure in combination with physical exhaustion, psychological stress, and poor nutrition can lead to:
Acute bronchitis

Prolonged exposure. It is very unlikely that you will ever experience this from forest fire smoke and little is known about its effects. The risks are probably the same for cigarette smoking, and include heart disease, stroke, chronic bronchitis and emphysema (COPD), and cancer.

Note: The mixture of particles, liquids, and gaseous compounds found in smoke from wild land fires is very complex, and include compounds that can irritate and even injure the tissues of your mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. During past fires in Florida, an increase in emergency department visits was seen for asthma, acute worsening of chronic bronchitis, eye irritation, chest pains, shortness of breath, and wheezing.

(MMWR, 48[04]; February 5, 1999, pages 78-79)

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Cleaners, plumbers and spray painters high-risk occupations for asthma

Despite known risks and recommendations for protective equipment, many people are still at risk of getting asthma after chemical exposure at work. This is the finding of an international study of 13,000 people carried out at Sahlgrenska Academy.

Asthma is among the most common adult diseases in the world. Despite the fact that the risks of chemical exposure have long been known and that there are well-established recommendations for handling chemicals and protective equipment, many cases of asthma are still caused by exposure to harmful substances at work.

This latest study analyzed asthma cases among 13,000 randomly selected adults in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Estonia from 1980 to 2000. According to the study, 429 people had new-onset asthma during this period. Seven percent of the cases among women were linked to workplace exposure—and among men, the number was as high as 14 percent.

The study found that total incidence of new-onset asthma was 24 cases per 1,000 men and 44 cases per 1,000 women.

“To be able to work with primary prevention, it is essential to know which agents at work increase the risk of asthma and which occupations are at high-risk,” says Linnea Lillienberg, researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy.

According to the study, high-risk occupations include:
• spray painters, who are exposed to diisocyanates in paint
• plumbers, who handle adhesives and foam insulation
• cleaners, who handle detergents
• health care and social services personnel, who are exposed to detergents and latex in latex gloves, especially if the gloves contain powder
• food and tobacco industry workers, who are exposed to proteins from plants
• hairdressers, who handle chemicals in bleach and nail beauticians, who use fast-acting glues

“Some people are more susceptible than others. For example, people with hay fever (atopic) are at higher risk of occupational asthma if they’re exposed to proteins from plants and animals. But if we look at individuals with no increased susceptibility (nonatopic), the risk was higher among those compared to atopics if exposed to epoxy and diisocyanates, which are found in glues, varnishes and insulation foams. Among nonatopic women , the risk was particularly elevated among those who handled detergents,” says Linnea Lillienberg.

The study Occupational Exposure and New-onset Asthma in a Population-based Study in Northern Europe (RHINE) was published in The Annals of Occupational Hygiene.