Wildfires across the U.S. and Canada — fueled by record heat and dry conditions — could severely impact the health of millions of people.
Inhaling toxic smoke and ash from wildfires could cause damage to the body -- including the lungs and heart -- and even weaken our immune systems, experts said."Wildfire smoke itself is quite a complex mixture and it's made up of fine particles … and a number of other gases, which are toxic, mainly due to the fact that wildfires burn everything so more toxic than household fires because everything has been burned," Dr.
Hose is laid down a road while firefighters tackle the Shelburne wildfires in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, Canada, June 2, 2023.Because these particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye, they can easily enter the nose and throat and can travel to the lungs, with some of the smallest particles even circulating in the bloodstream, according to the"The top offender here is these fine particles," Dr.
This is especially concerning for vulnerable groups including children, pregnant people, older adults and those who are immunocompromised or having pre-existing conditions."Lower socioeconomic neighborhoods are at a higher risk as well," Humphrey said.
"It's clear that the climate change problem is essentially creating conditions that make the fire problem and the smoke problem worse," Limaye said. "So, we're talking about, hotter days, longer wildfire, seasons, drier conditions, spring snowmelt that essentially, put more wildfire fuel in play earlier -- all these kinds of converging factors."
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires returns to New York CityWildfire smoke drifting south from Canada will make for hazy sunshine at times on Tuesday and possibly on Wednesday and could lead to poor air quality.
Read more »
Canadian wildfire smoke returns to parts of the Midwest and NortheastThe devastating wildfire emergency continues across a large swath of Canada, with several large fires burning out of control, from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador as of Monday afternoon.
Read more »
Many Sask. producers 'breathing a sigh of relief' after rain: crop reportMost of Saskatchewan\u0027s farmers are close to finishing seeding, thanks to help from recent scattered showers around the province.
Read more »
Thieves steal $100,000 in cigarettes, cash from San Francisco smoke shopThieves struck a longtime San Francisco mom-and-pop smoke shop in the Richmond District last month and the brazen burglary was caught on camera.
Read more »
High ozone levels, wildfire smoke spur air quality alerts in ChicagoHigh ozone levels, combined with smoke from Canadian wildfires, led to air quality alerts and hazy cries across Chicago on Monday.
Read more »
Air quality Illinois: High ozone levels, wildfire smoke spur alerts in ChicagoHigh ozone levels, combined with smoke from Canadian wildfires, led to air quality alerts and hazy skies across Chicago on Monday.
Read more »