The California Wildfires May be Impacting Your Health
-- Here's How to Keep YOUR Air Clean
by www.SixWise.com
The tragic October wildfires in Southern California took
seven lives and destroyed 2,000 homes. But even though the
flames have died down, there's still a threat lurking in the
air over Southern California, and beyond: extreme amounts
of pollution.
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The California wildfires that burned from October 19-26,
2007 released nearly 9 tons of carbon dioxide into the
air.
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The wildfires that burned from October 19-26 emitted an amount
of greenhouse gases that's equivalent to 500,000 cars traveling
on the road for one year, according to the California Air
Resources Board.
And according to two Colorado scientists, the fires likely
emitted 8.7 million tons of carbon dioxide, the primary global
warming gas, into the air.
Aside from taking a heavy toll on the environment -- wildfires,
for instance, may be causing the boreal forests in northern
Canada, Alaska, Siberia, China, Scandinavia and other areas
to give off more carbon than they absorb -- the pollution
presents a risk to your health.
Health Risks of Wildfire-Related Air Pollution
The majority of wildfire smoke is made up of water vapor,
but it also contains gases and small particles including carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, irritant volatile
organic compounds, and air toxics, according to the San
Diego Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD).
When you breathe these particles in, they can build up in
your respiratory system, resulting in burning eyes, cough,
a runny nose and illnesses like bronchitis. Children and the
elderly are particularly at risk from smoke-contaminated air,
as are people with chronic illnesses. The particles in wildfire
smoke can aggravate:
Part of what makes wildfire pollution so dangerous is that
the tiny particles in the smoke -- they're smaller than 2.5
microns in diameter, which means several thousand of them
could fit on the period at the end of a sentence -- reach
the deepest recesses of your lungs and enter your bloodstream
where they accelerate hardening of the arteries, negatively
affecting heart function.
The tiny particles can actually overwhelm your lungs and
mucus membranes, according to the American Lung Association
of California, which results in mucus and soot build-up. This,
in turn, increases your risk of infections like sinusitis
and bronchitis.
If you have had a heart attack, being exposed to tiny particles
will also increase your risk of having a second one.
Air Pollution is All Around Us
If you live in an area affected by wildfires, you know that
the air quality is poor if you see or smell smoke. But even
areas far removed from the actual fires are impacted. For
instance, U.S. wildfires release an average of 322 million
tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year, according to
a new study in Carbon Balance and Management.
Although these emissions make up just 5 percent of the carbon
dioxide released from burning gasoline, coal and other fossil
fuels, at the state level fire emissions can exceed the annual
emissions from fossil fuels.
Of course, wildfires are not the only source of air pollution.
Cars, trucks,
fireplaces, coal-burning power plants and many, many other
factors also contribute.
Exposure to air pollution has been linked to at least 16
health problems, including genetic abnormalities.
And, alarmingly, in the most polluted cities it has been
estimated that lives are shortened by an average of one to
two years, according to research by the American Cancer Society
and Harvard University.
Consider that every day we breathe in about 15,000 liters
of air (that's about six to 10 liters every minute), according
to the American Lung Association. So efficient are our lungs,
that that air is drawn across 600 to 900 square feet of surface
area in the tiny sacs in our lungs.
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Dangerous particles in the air can stay in an area
for weeks after the flames of a wildfire have been put
out.
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This gives you an idea of how important having clean air
to breathe truly is.
How to Keep Your Home's Air Clean
First off, if you live in an area impacted by wildfires,
you should not go outside if it's smoky. You definitely don't
want to do any exercise outdoors or let your children outside
to play if there's smoke in the air.
You should also keep the particle levels you release indoors
to a minimum by not burning anything including wood stoves,
gas stoves, candles and cigarettes.
It's important to also avoid vacuuming when smoke levels
are high, as this will stir up particles that are in your
home.
Next, whether you live in an area with wildfires or not,
you should consider very seriously getting a high-quality
air purifier for your home.
Indoor air can be two to 100 times more polluted than outdoor
air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, so
air purifiers are becoming more and more of a necessity.
The challenge with most air purifiers, however, is that the
air must be drawn to the unit, either through natural airflow
or through the use of a fan. This method results in uneven
treatment and can leave pockets of polluted air.
Unlike most air purifiers, the PIONAIR
Air Treatment System, which Sixwise.com highly recommends,
doesn't wait for pollutants to contact a filter or plate.
Instead, the PIONAIR generates air-purifying technology that
migrates through the area and neutralizers organic odors,
microbes and molds at their source.
As a result, the PIONAIR produces fresh, clean air throughout
your home or office uniformly, by addressing the pollutant
source, without the use of fans, filters or plates.
How does it work?
PIONAIR uses photocatalysis, which is designed to oxidize
organic odors, germs, and fungi. The PIONAIR technology creates
ultraviolet light rays, safe levels of ozone, and passive
negative ions as part of your air treatment. This is not just
any old air filter -- it is an air purifier that duplicates
Nature's own methods of air cleaning and revitalization.
Aside from a high-quality air purifier, there are other steps
you can also take to keep your home's air pure and fresh,
and your family healthy.
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If pollution is particularly heavy in your area, keep
your windows and doors closed and run your air conditioner
(make sure the filter is clean).
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When smoke is outside, or pollution is heavy, be sure
to drink plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic) to keep your
respiratory tract moist.
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Avoid high levels of smog and pollution. These are typically
highest during the midday and afternoon. If you're in
a high-risk group, don't go outside when ozone levels
are high.
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Exercise when the air is cleaner. When you exercise (or
work strenuously), you draw air more deeply into your
lungs, and therefore risk more damage from air pollution.
To protect yourself and get the numerous health benefits
of exercise, avoid exercising near congested streets and
during rush-hour traffic, and definitely if there's a
wildfire burning in your area.
Recommended Reading
BEWARE:
Your Fireplace or Wood Burning Stove May Be Harming Your Health
in an Unexpected Way
Health
Threats from Air Pollution Greater for Diabetics
Sources
Nature
450, 89-92 (1 November 2007)
Carbon
Balance and Management 2007, 2:10, November 1, 2007
County
of San Diego Air Pollution Control District
California
Air Resources Board