Smoke free summers a thing of the past as Alberta gets hit with wildfire smoke from all sides

Edmonton Journal

2 days ago

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Wildfires burning across western Canada are having a major impact on the air quality in most of Alberta.
Smoke from wildfires burning in British Columbia, northern Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are cumulatively worsening the air quality across municipalities in the province and experts are saying smoke-free summers are becoming a thing of the past.
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Environment Canada's air quality health index (AQHI) is forecasting Edmonton will jump from a 9 out of 10 on Monday to a 10 on Tuesday.
Postmedia spoke with two experts in public health and medicine to discuss how Albertans can protect against the smoke, health risks and why does Alberta get so much smoke.
Why does Alberta get so much smoke during wildfire season and is it getting worse?
Low snow pack, warm and dry weather, and lack of precipitation are pointing to an unfavourable fire season for western Canada — specifically Alberta, says Jeff Brook, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Brook said while there's smoke every summer, it is often just above the ground at low levels. However over the past 10 years, he said, researchers are seeing cases where smoke conditions are becoming progressively worse.
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'We generally think that the smoke particles are as harmful when we inhale them as regular pollution, and we need to treat them that way,' Brook said.
Alberta getting more smoke in recent weeks is in part due to 'luck of the draw' and paired with weather patterns over multiple days as wildfires continue to burn, according to Brook.
The reason why Edmonton might get more smoke is due to its proximity to the boreal forest regions, which are often very susceptible to fires.
How do you keep your home smoke free and protect against it?
Brook said smoke particles can endure quite readily even when indoors — half of what is outside will get inside.
One of the best ways to protect against smoke particles, especially the smaller ones, is by using an air purifier. He said purchasing one is extremely effective, but for those who want to make one at home using a high quality furnace filter, box fan and card board would also be efficient.
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Dr. Anne Hicks, an associate professor in pediatric respiratory medicine at the University of Alberta, said the only way to protect against wildfire smoke is to avoid breathing as much in as possible. She said surgical masks are a good option to filter out the larger smoke particles, but masks like N95, which are often used by health-care professionals, will filter between 95 to 99 per cent of particles.
'I can still smell smoke through my N95 masks, so those very small particles that get absorbed directly into your bloodstream are still passing through that mask. You can still exercise effectively in those masks, they feel kind of hot and sweaty and claustrophobic, but you have good oxygen coming in and waste gas going out, so they're a nice compromise,' Hicks said.
What are the health risks associated with smoke?
Hicks said in the short term, everybody will have a little irritation due to smoke whether it's in the eyes or nose, and the larger particles that settle into the throat may cause coughing, the health risks will likely be invisible for many people.
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But for those with heart and lung disease, they might feel symptoms earlier on. Hicks added there's an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes when there are heavy smoke periods for older adults.
Those with a respiratory infection are also at an increased risk of needing an emergency-room visit or hospitalization, as are people in high-risk groups such as infants, young children, seniors and those who have high outdoor exposure.
'If you can smell (the smoke), it's getting soaked into your body in some form or another. So in those cases you worry about asthma attacks or COPD attacks,' Hicks said.
Brook said those who have a respiratory condition like asthma should ensure they are constantly carrying a puffer for when they feel exacerbations, just in case.
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