Why is the air quality so bad? What to know about the health dangers of wildfire smoke

National Post

a day ago

In addition to hearts and lungs, wildfire smoke may mess with the human brain, emerging research suggests.
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Fine particulate matter carried in wildfire smoke can enter the brain via the bloodstream, causing inflammation and oxidative stress, a condition resulting from too many cell-damaging molecules called free radicals and not enough antioxidants to mop them up, one theory holds.
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Recently, scientists have linked exposure to wildfire smoke to increased risks for impaired cognitive function, memory loss, greater odds of being diagnosed with dementia and an increase in emergency department visits for anxiety, depression, psychotic episodes and other mental-health problems.
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Plumes of smoke from Prairie wildfires that have forced the evacuation of thousands of people from their homes led to air quality advisories issued for large swaths of the country Friday, with Environment Canada messages covering British Columbia, the Prairies and most of Ontario and Quebec, the Montreal Gazette reported.
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More toxic than other sources of pollution, wildfire smoke can cause a range of health effects, from mild coughs, itchy eyes and headaches to dizziness, wheezing, chest pains, asthma attacks, shortness of breath and heart palpitations.
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And when heat and poor air quality combine, the health impacts are reached that much sooner, said Dr. Anna Gunz, a pediatric intensive care doctor at Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre and associate professor at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
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While those at the doorstep of fires are most vulnerable, the fine particulates in wildfire smoke can travel 1,000 kilometres or more.
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The National Post spoke to Gunz to help unpack how wildfire smoke can impact physical and mental health. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
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We have over 40 years of air pollution health data and so some of this is grounded in the same principles.
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We love the smell of campfires. But even the smoke that we breathe by a campfire contains lots of particulates that are actually really bad for us. It's not stuff that we're supposed to be breathing.
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When we think about wildfires, it's not just wood that's been cut from trees that you maybe know. It's everything else that's burning — pesticides, herbicides, metals. Even allergens and fungus.
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Because it moves so far, you don't need to be right next to a wildfire to be affected. It's high concentrations for shorter periods of time, but it is ubiquitous. Part of the problem with being away from the wildfire is that people don't necessarily realize the air might be bad. It can be really deceiving.