On Oct. 3, Canadian wildfire smoke settled into the southeast coast of America, where Matthew Enojo, senior and neuroscience major, thought was a thick coating of fog.
“I had initially questioned if it was just fog but the air seemed stuffier than that. That discrepancy caused me some concern,” Enojo said. “I am from New York, so we were hit hard by the initial migration of the smoke.”
Since summer, Canadian wildfires have produced massive amounts of smoke that have decreased air quality in numerous regions in the United States.
Paul Baldauf, professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, said that the smoke caused by the Canadian wildfires has reached vast distances.
“The smoke produced by these fires are able to cover large amounts of land and travel with wind patterns,” he said.
The Air Quality Index scale reads from 0-500, with increasing health risks due to air pollution at values 101 and up. This may be harmful to certain groups of individuals, especially those with asthma, often causing respiratory irritation and inflammation, Baldauf said.
The air quality of South Florida at that time reached values of up to 150 on the AQI, mainly due to the sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide in wildfire smoke.
“There are five different criteria pollutants that affect the air quality: carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxides and ozone,” he said, adding that ozone and particulate matter tend to be more widespread. “Lungs aren’t good at getting tiny particulates out. These tiny particles are 2.5 microns or less in diameter, smaller than the width of a human hair.”
Baldauf places great importance on the AQI and recommends checking it often. Immunocompromised people may need to closely monitor it as well, as it may influence their health.
“It’s not a bad idea to track the Air Quality Index every morning, especially for sensitive individuals, people who have asthma or people who are immunosuppressed,” he said. “Even people that are athletes should probably be aware that there are times when the air is so bad that you don’t want to be exercising outdoors.”
Enojo said that regardless of how aware one may be of the AQI, there is often not much to be done if the air quality is not ideal.
“Sometimes, I think it is important to be conscious of the air you’re constantly taking in, but there is also a factor of uncontrollability,” he said. “I can’t just up and live somewhere else solely because of the air quality. So usually, I find it best to ignore it.”
For more information: Check out the air quality in different locations. Visit: iqair.com
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