Latest news with #pollutants
CNN
9 hours ago
- Climate
- CNN
Canadian wildfire smoke and a dust plume from Africa could collide over the South this week
Air quality is taking a hit in parts of the central and eastern United States as smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada pours south – but that isn't the only thing millions of people will notice in the sky this week. A plume of dust originating from Africa's Sahara Desert is tracking west across the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday and will soon reach parts of the Southeast. This dust could collide with any lingering smoke in the South this week, potentially causing unhealthy air quality and a hazy, duller sky during the day, bracketed by colorful sunrises and sunsets. Here's when to expect the worst of each. Nearly a hundred wildfires continue to burn out of control across Canada, from British Columbia to Ontario. The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have seen some of the worst blazes, which have forced thousands of people forced to flee their homes over the last week. Smoke from those wildfires expanded rapidly over Canada and the US in recent days, stretching over an area of Canada equivalent to double the size of Texas – more than half a million square miles – last Thursday. That smoke area had doubled in size by Sunday, covering more than 1.2 million square miles in Canada. Heavy smoke also overspread about 750,000 square miles of the US on Sunday. That's a huge problem due to some tiny pollutants. Wildfire smoke contains very dangerous pollutants called PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream when inhaled. The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. The smoke is most dangerous in areas where it is thickest and closest to the ground. As of early Tuesday, that includes parts of southern Canada and the Upper Midwest, where trackers show air quality is diminished. Thick smoke can block out the sun and wreak havoc on anyone outdoors with unprotected eyes, noses and throats. Some smoke is also drifting slightly higher in the atmosphere. The higher the smoke travels, the less it affects air quality – but it still makes the sky hazy and shields the sun. Most of the affected areas in the US aren't experiencing the worst case smoke scenario. But there's still some risk to vulnerable populations, like children, as its impact to air quality while lessened, isn't zero. Smoke and haze will be noticeable for millions of people in the eastern half of the US Tuesday. It could be hazy at times from Chicago to Upstate New York and as far south as parts of Georgia and Florida. The haze will linger Wednesday in parts of the Midwest, East and South, and a new wave of thicker smoke could rush into the north-central US as a cold front trudges east. Smoke from these wildfires will likely keep impacting the US through at least the end of the week, but it's difficult to pinpoint exactly which areas will experience the worst of it more than a couple days in advance. While smoke invades the US from the north, another entity is floating toward the country from the east: Saharan dust. This week's plume is already visible from space via satellite imagery as it blows over the Atlantic Ocean. The bulk of the plume is set to reach Florida by early Wednesday and spread over more of the Southeast by Thursday. Dust and smoke could overlap in some areas, making for an especially hazy or dim sky and poorer air quality than if just one of the two factors was in play. Like wildfire smoke, dust plumes are composed of small particulate matter that can be hazardous if inhaled – especially for people who already have breathing issues. As its name suggests, Saharan dust originates in the Sahara Desert, where strong winds blow dust and dry air west out of the region frequently from late spring to early fall. The dust plumes often attract the most attention during the summer because their dry air can disrupt the formation of tropical systems, like hurricanes. They also create colorful sunrises and sunsets with deeper oranges and reds when the conditions are right. The size of the plume and where it flows in the atmosphere will change its impacts. This dust plume is thicker than previous bouts of dust in May, but it should thin out the farther it tracks into the US this week. • Canada's fire forecast looks bad. The impacts could spill across the border into the US • Smoke pours into the US as Canada wildfires force province's largest evacuation in 'living memory' • Wildfires – and their toxic smoke – are affecting us more often. What can we do about it?
Washington Post
a day ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke
As smoke from raging wildfires in Canada continues drifting into parts of the United States, it's critical to know how you can protect yourself from potentially dangerous levels of air pollution. Wildfire smoke contains hazardous pollutants that include toxic gases and particulate matter — solid particles and liquid droplets that are produced when these fires burn through trees, buildings and other materials. While some particulate matter can be easily seen in the form of soot, smoke also carries smaller particles that can infiltrate the human body and affect health. Experts say this pollution could affect your health whether you're indoors or outdoors.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
YAHOO POLL: When in the day is best to take a shower?
In hot and humid Singapore, a minimum of one shower a day is probably a given — is it? How many times do you shower a day and when do you shower? Experts have now weighed in on whether it is better to shower in the morning or at night. Several have said that morning showers are better for our bodies and hygiene. Other polls: YAHOO POLL: Do you agree with SDP's push for election system reform? YAHOO POLL: Do you support harsher punishments for animal abusers? YAHOO POLL: COVID-19 cases on the rise – are you staying vigilant? One reason: Our bodies "collect pollutants" throughout even as we sleep as "most people don't wash their bedsheets every day, so if you're showering before bed, you'll still likely be jumping onto sheets that contain various bacteria from previous nights". One expert shared, "As a microbiologist, I am a day-shower advocate. A morning shower suggests your body will be cleaner of night-acquired skin microbes when putting on fresh clothes." What do you think? When is a good time for a shower in Singapore? Tell us what you think. Related So, How Often Do You Really Need to Shower? How Often Should You Shower? Here's What a Dermatologist Has to Say Gen Z-ers spend the longest time in the shower, new poll reveals. Here's what experts say about our washing habits.
Gizmodo
23-05-2025
- Gizmodo
Dyson's Air Purifier and Fan Combo Gets Memorial Day Price Cut on Amazon, Matches Its Black Friday Price
Pet are great, aren't they? The warm welcome we receive walking through the door by our dogs running up to us, unable to contain their excitement. They are the perfect cuddle buddy for a lazy day on the couch in front of the TV. They help make our houses a home and the house is just as much their home as it is ours. But unfortunately, that means the whole home smells like them too. What's the solution? We're not gonna get rid of the dog are you insane? No, no. Just get yourself a good quality air purifier and you'll be able to take back the air space of your home and breathe once again. Dyson has a great deal over at Amazon right now to save 30% on an air purifier — you can get it for the reduced price of $300. This Dyson Purifier Cool air purifier is designed for large room, able to draw in pollutants all around it then project purified air throughout the space. It uses a HEPA fully sealed filter to capture gases an up to 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. See at Amazon Cool the Air While Purifying It This isn't your ordinary air purifier. The Dyson Cool purifier is designed not just for making your air more breathable, but it can also cool the room it's in. This is great for those warm summer nights. Speaking of night time, the machine operates quietly so you can purify the air in your bedroom without spoiling the sound of your bedroom. The real-time LCD displays indoor air quality reports, but don't worry. That dims at night so as not to keep you awake from across the room. The Dyson air purifier utilizes three different sensors which can detect and report on the air quality automatically. It uses a unique algorithm to diagnose the real-time air quality of your home, which is displayed to you on the front LCD interface of the air purifier. Control the air purifier at a distance with the included remote. Quickly make settings changes from the comfort of your couch. You can set the fan speed to 10 different levels or just put it in auto-mode so it finds what's best for the room you set you purifier up in. You can also adjust the amount it oscillates anywhere between zero to 350°. The remote is magnetized so it can be neatly stored on the machine when not in use. For a limited time, Amazon has the Dyson TP10 cool purifier on sale. It's listed for the time being at 30% off which brings the price down from $430 to just $300. That equates to a savings of $130. See at Amazon
Medscape
22-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Air Pollution: A Risk Factor for Infant Bronchiolitis
Infants aged 2 years or younger with bronchiolitis faced an increased risk for hospitalization due to air pollution, with a meta-analysis indicating a positive association between exposure to elevated levels of particulate matter (PM) and gaseous pollutants and the risk for hospitalization — an association that was significant only for PM with a diameter ≤ 10 μm. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between air pollution and the risk for hospitalization due to bronchiolitis in infants aged 2 years or younger. Among the included studies, 23 were included for systematic review and 13 were included for eight separate meta-analyses. The analysis focused on the most commonly studied pollutants — PM with a diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM with a diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Their impact was examined over short-term (within 1 week), medium-term (within 1 month), and long-term (over 1 month) exposure periods. TAKEAWAY: In the systematic review, most individual studies found an increase in the risk for bronchiolitis-related hospitalization with short-, medium-, and long-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2. Meta-analyses demonstrated a 2%-9% increase in the risk for bronchiolitis-related hospitalization with exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2; however, statistical significance was observed only for short-term PM10 exposure (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.09). IN PRACTICE: 'Given that some of the air pollutants associated with hospitalization are well-established traffic-related compounds (eg, NO2), traffic mitigation strategies might play a relevant role in limiting the burden of bronchiolitis in infants,' the authors wrote. SOURCE: Gregorio Paolo Milani, MD, with the University of Milan, Milan, Italy, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on May 13 in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology . LIMITATIONS: Reliance on estimates rather than direct measurements of odds ratios may have overestimated associations, and significant variability in study designs, exposure assessment methods, and control for confounders complicated the comparisons. Additionally, fixed-site monitoring data may not have accurately captured individual-level exposures. DISCLOSURES: This study was partially supported by the Italian Ministry of Health. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.
