As Wildfires Become More Common, Risks From Poor Air Quality Will Continue To Plague Californians
White masks and apocalyptic fog have been common-place sights in California since the wildfires began. Research into the long-term health effects is still new, but a growing body of science shows how inhalation of minuscule particles from wood fires can nestle in the folds of lung tissue and do harm to the human immune system.
The New York Times:
Air Quality In California: Devastating Fires Lead To A New Danger
The wildfires that have laid waste to vast parts of California are presenting residents with a new danger: air so thick with smoke it ranks among the dirtiest in the world. On Friday, residents of smog-choked Northern California woke to learn that their pollution levels now exceed those in cities in China and India that regularly rank among the worst. (Turkewitz and Richtel, 11/16)
The New York Times:
California’s Fires Wrecked Its Air Quality: Here’s How To Protect Yourself
The devastating wildfires that have ravaged parts of California brought with them plumes of smoke, shrouding some communities in a soupy black fog. Air pollution like that is full of tiny particles that can cause health problems, ranging from temporary discomfort to long-term heart and lung diseases. (Fortin, 11/17)
San Jose Mercury News:
Camp Fire: More Smoke Blowing Into Bay Area Before Rains
While there’s a strong chance shifting winds and rain will help clear out smoke in the Bay Area just in time for Thanksgiving Day, air quality here could get worse before it gets better. Residents of the area should continue to monitor air quality and take steps to protect their health, especially by staying indoors, officials say. “We’re expecting winds to bring more smoke into the Bay Area on top of what’s already here,” Kristine Roselius, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality District, said Sunday. “Basically right now we’re seeing unhealthy air quality throughout most of the Bay Area.” (Geha, 11/18)
Sacramento Bee:
Pollution Studies Offer Clues Into Impact Of Wildfire Smoke
Last year, as the Tubbs Fire scorched its way across Napa and Sonoma counties, environmental researchers at the University of California, Davis, fielded questions about the health impact of chronic exposure to smoke from a wildfire that torched trees and urban structures alike. UCD’s Kent Pinkerton and Rebecca Schmidt and other researchers had the same questions. They sought studies on urban wildfires and found no answers. (Anderson, 11/19)