Latest news with #airquality
Associated Press
4 minutes ago
- Health
- Associated Press
With the World Cup about a year away, contingency plans for wildfire smoke risks remain unclear
TORONTO (AP) — The 2026 World Cup being hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States is less than a year away and FIFA's protocols for matches affected by wildfire smoke remain unclear. The 48-team World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Canada is hosting 13 matches — seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. The day after Toronto's air quality was among the worst in the world, the organizing committee for the World Cup in Canada declined to reveal guidelines for postponement or air quality related contingencies with soccer's international governing body. No policies are posted publicly. The Air Quality Health Index rating for Toronto was over 10, or 'very high risk,' on Monday morning, dropping to a 'high risk' rating of 8 by late afternoon. This year's fire season, according to Canadian government data, is the second-largest on record. Canada's most destructive wildfire season was in 2023, with more than 6,000 fires burning 37 million acres (15 million hectares) of land, according to Natural Resources Canada. Dr. Howard Shapiro, Toronto's associate medical officer of health, said in a statement that Toronto Public Health is actively reviewing the latest evidence and best practices for air-quality issues as the city prepares for the World Cup. 'TPH may provide guidance and recommendations on public health risks, including environmental health concerns such as extreme weather and wildfire smoke,' the statement read. 'This includes contingency planning to support the health and safety of residents, visitors, and participants during the tournament.' Outdoor activities on days when the Air Quality Health Index rises higher than 7 should be rescheduled, said Dr. Andrew Halayko, a professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba, to protect the most vulnerable, including people who are 65 or older, pregnant, young children and those with existing health conditions. But others say it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the air quality reaches a threshold where sporting events should be canceled. 'I personally think that we can't, based on good evidence, have general statements about what AQHI is unacceptable for a given event. Everything is contextual,' said Dr. Christopher Carlsten, the head of the respiratory medicine division at the University of British Columbia. That context includes the age of the general audience and the forecast of the air quality, and events should be judged on a case-by-case basis, he said. The impact of poor air quality on athletes is a subject of debate. Some experts think athletes can better handle poor air conditions because they are generally young and healthy, making them less likely to sustain long-term health impacts. Michael Brauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, said that studies show that even low levels of pollution impact cognitive ability — which not only affects performance but also increases the risk of injuries. 'Imagine two players going up for a pass at really high speeds, and if you make one tiny error, that could be a career-threatening injury,' he said. The Canadian Football League doesn't play games when the AQHI surpasses a threshold of seven, according to an agreement with the players. Those games are postponed. ___ AP soccer:
Al Arabiya
4 minutes ago
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
With the World Cup about a year away, plans for wildfire smoke risks remain unclear
The 2026 World Cup being hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States is less than a year away, and FIFA's protocols for matches affected by wildfire smoke remain unclear. The 48-team World Cup will run from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Canada is hosting 13 matches–seven in Vancouver and six in Toronto. The day after Toronto's air quality was among the worst in the world, the organizing committee for the World Cup in Canada declined to reveal guidelines for postponement or air quality related contingencies with soccer's international governing body. No policies are posted publicly. The Air Quality Health Index rating for Toronto was over 10, or very high risk, on Monday morning, dropping to a high risk rating of 8 by late afternoon. This year's fire season, according to Canadian government data, is the second-largest on record. Canada's most destructive wildfire season was in 2023, with more than 6,000 fires burning 37 million acres (15 million hectares) of land, according to Natural Resources Canada. Dr. Howard Shapiro, Toronto's associate medical officer of health, said in a statement that Toronto Public Health is actively reviewing the latest evidence and best practices for air-quality issues as the city prepares for the World Cup. 'TPH may provide guidance and recommendations on public health risks, including environmental health concerns such as extreme weather and wildfire smoke,' the statement read. 'This includes contingency planning to support the health and safety of residents, visitors, and participants during the tournament.' Outdoor activities on days when the Air Quality Health Index rises higher than 7 should be rescheduled, said Dr. Andrew Halayko, a professor of physiology and pathophysiology at the University of Manitoba, to protect the most vulnerable, including people who are 65 or older, pregnant, young children, and those with existing health conditions. But others say it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when the air quality reaches a threshold where sporting events should be canceled. 'I personally think that we can't based on good evidence have general statements about what AQHI is unacceptable for a given event. Everything is contextual,' said Dr. Christopher Carlsten, the head of the respiratory medicine division at the University of British Columbia. That context includes the age of the general audience and the forecast of the air quality, and events should be judged on a case-by-case basis, he said. The impact of poor air quality on athletes is a subject of debate. Some experts think athletes can better handle poor air conditions because they are generally young and healthy, making them less likely to sustain long-term health impacts. Michael Brauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, said that studies show that even low levels of pollution impact cognitive ability–which not only affects performance but also increases the risk of injuries. 'Imagine two players going up for a pass at really high speeds, and if you make one tiny error, that could be a career-threatening injury,' he said. The Canadian Football League doesn't play games when the AQHI surpasses a threshold of seven, according to an agreement with the players. Those games are postponed.
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Smoke could move into Calgary on Wednesday
As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, no air quality advisories were in effect for Calgary and the surrounding areas, but that could change on Wednesday.
National Post
9 hours ago
- Health
- National Post
What you need to know to understand air quality warnings in Canada
Article content What are the possible health impacts? Article content The immediate health impacts of poor air quality can include difficulty breathing, eye and throat irritation, cough, wheezing and chest tightness, and it can worsen any pre-existing symptoms of respiratory conditions, such as asthma. Article content When it comes to long-term impacts, there's still research to be done on the impact of exposure to wildfire smoke. However, preliminary results show 'an impact on lung function, a slight increased risk of lung cancer, brain tumours, potential increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and a potential effect on childhood development and developmental disorders of childhood,' said Green. Article content 'Wildfire smoke likely has negative health impacts on all body systems and we should avoid repeated and long term exposure,' said Green. Article content On July 14, until 11 a.m., Toronto had an AQHI of 10, meaning it was better to stay indoors, while in Halifax, the AQHI was 2, an ideal air quality for outdoor activities. Article content Article content The poor air quality in many parts of the country, like Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, was caused mainly by the forest fires over Northern Ontario and the Prairies. Article content 'An N95 mask will filter out a large portion of the particulate matter. It's not going to filter out those other air pollutants, like nitrogen dioxide and ozone and it's not a long term solution,' Green said. However, a surgical mask won't help, only an N95 worn correctly. Article content 'If someone must be outside and the AQHI is high, I would say, sure, yes, it will protect you if you wear an N95 mask,' said Green. Article content
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Why the Sask. Roughriders postponed, but other sports played on: how air quality indexes work
Saskatchewan Roughriders fans who headed to Regina's Mosaic stadium Friday had a rough night, sitting through rounds of delays and ultimately the postponement of the game more than three hours after the scheduled kick-off time. While the Riders postponed, other sports in Saskatchewan played on, despite much of the province being blanketed in wildfire smoke last weekend. Experts say there is no single rule for making decisions to postpone or cancel sporting events due to air quality, and specific leagues have different health guidelines. "Different sports require different amounts of huffing and puffing and exposure time," said Madeline Orr, an assistant professor of sport ecology at the University of Toronto whose research focuses on how climate change impacts sports. "Depending on the sport, depending on the exposure time, depending on how old the people are, these are all factors that should be considered. There is no one standard policy," Orr said. She said the Canadian Football League has air pollution guidelines, but no rules. Sports should be stopped as soon as the air becomes unsafe for people with sensitive conditions and wildfire smoke is particularly dangerous, Orr said. With various air quality indexes available, and as wildfire smoke becomes an increasingly common health risk, here's what often goes into the decision to play or not — and how to make sense of air quality indexes when making your own decisions. The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is run by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and used widely across the country. It is meant to rate the health risk of three types of dangerous contaminants in the air on a one-to-10 scale — the higher the number, the greater the risk. "It helps individuals make a judgment call around the air quality that they are breathing," said Céline Audette, manager of health and air quality forecast services at ECCC. Any rating of five or higher means at-risk people and those with pre-existing conditions should consider heading inside, she said. At seven, the general population should take precautions. At 10, everyone is at risk and exposure could cause health effects, Audette said. While other air quality indexes measure the concentration of specific pollutants in the air, the AQHI is based on epidemiologists' estimation of "the likely impact of that level of the pollution on the population," said Amir Hakami, an environmental engineering professor at Carleton University in Ottawa. He works on air quality models similar to the one ECCC uses to create the AQHI. The ECCC's national air pollution surveillance program uses more than 130 stations across Canada to measure air pollutants every hour. A model is then used to predict what the air quality and the corresponding health rating would be at areas not being tested. Experts say even a few metres can make a measurable difference in air quality safety, because of things like airflow and pollutant sources. For example, if you are standing immediately next to a car's exhaust, the air will be very different than if you were standing a few metres upwind. There are also different formulas for measuring air quality. If you see a scale going higher than 10, it is likely a traditional air quality index measuring the specific level of pollutants. The United States primarily uses a one-to-500 scale, applying a colour code to signify health risks. Canada calculates health risk differently, focusing on slightly different pollutant categories. "The air quality indexes that are used in the States are usually based on regulations" and not necessarily "health impacts," Audette said. She said Canada's index uses "the best science available." Wildfires create particles in the air that are so small they can only be seen with a microscope and are easily inhaled. The smoke falls into a pollutant category called PM2.5, or fine particulate matter that measures less than 2.5 micrometres. "You can breathe it in, it can settle into your lungs and even cross the cellular level and go into your brain," Audette said. "This particle is toxic at any concentration." She said wildfire smoke requires you to act quickly. Stations across Canada started measuring air quality every hour in 2024 because of the wildfires. Previously, the tests were done every three hours. In Prince Albert, about 315 kilometres northwest of Mosaic stadium, the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup tournament continued Friday night and through the weekend. Tournament co-chair Ian Litzenberger said the weather was great and it was a "perfect weekend for ball." Litzenberger said that when wildfire smoke started rolling in, officials and the on-site medical director used air quality documentation from both Softball Canada and Softball Saskatchewan to make a call about continuing. He said they used multiple air quality indexes, including ECCC's. None of our air quality levels ever surpassed what the documentation recommended, Litzenberger said.
