Giving Compass' Take:
- This article provides a comprehensive guide to staying safe from the negative impacts of poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke.
- What steps can you take as a donor to support mitigating climate change and decreasing the prevalence of wildfires in your region?
- Learn more about key climate justice issues and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on climate justice in your area.
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When wildfires burn, the smoke can travel long distances and degrade air quality far away, which presents risks for those breathing it.
Fires burning in one state can make air worse several states away, and wildfires in Canada can send smoke into U.S. cities.
Here’s what to know about taking precautions against poor air quality due to wildfires.
What Counts as Bad Air?
The EPA’s Air Quality Index converts all pollutant levels into a single number. The lower the number, the better.
Anything below 50 is classified as “healthy.” Fifty to 100 is “moderate” while 100-150 is unhealthy for “sensitive groups,” and anything above 150 is bad for everyone.
Sensitive groups include people with asthma, lung disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said Dr. Sanjay Sethi, chief of the division of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at the University of Buffalo’s medical school.
“If you have heart or lung problems, then you’ve got to be definitely more careful,” Sethi said. “I would either avoid going outside or wear an N95 (mask) or at least a dust mask.”
Is My Air Unhealthy?
Sometimes the air is bad enough to see or smell the smoke. Even if you don’t see the pollution, it can be unhealthy to breathe.
The EPA maintains a website with up-to-date, regional air quality information. PurpleAir, a company that sells air quality sensors and publishes real-time air quality data, has a citizen scientist, air quality monitoring network with a more granular map of street-by-street air quality readings.
The best way to get indoor air quality readings is to buy a monitor, said Joseph Allen, director of Harvard University’s Healthy Buildings Program.
“You can find these low-cost, indoor air quality monitors just about everywhere online now. They don’t cost all that much anymore,” he said.
What If I Have To Go Outside? Can I Still Stay Safe From Wildfire Smoke?
For most people, going outside for just a short time won’t have a negative long-term impact, said Sethi.
Wearing an N95 mask, which became common during the coronavirus pandemic, will help filter out the pollution.
Read the full article about protecting yourself from wildfire smoke at WTOP.