May 28, 2024 – Experts say smoke from Canadian wildfires is traveling as far as the Midwestern United States, causing air pollution both outdoors and indoors.
In mid-May, smoke reached Midwestern states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and some counties issued air quality alerts and warned residents to stay indoors. But wildfire smoke can seep into buildings, causing indoor pollution, Joseph Allen, an associate professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a May 14 Inside Climate News article. Because people spend about 90% of their time indoors, they can be exposed to harmful smoke and potential health risks, including cardiovascular disease and asthma attacks.
“What I want to emphasize is that outdoor air pollution isn't just an outdoor issue,” Allen said. “All of these issues permeate into the interior of the places where we live, work and go to school, so we have to start thinking about our buildings as a key component of climate resilience.”
Experts cited in the article recommended indoor air filtering strategies, such as using portable air purifiers with HEPA filters.
Read Inside Climate News: Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggers outdoor air quality alerts across US Midwest, may pollute indoors too
– Jay Lau
Photo: iStock/James_Gabbert
