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High-risk air quality warnings have been issued to millions of people in North America due to the ongoing wildfires in Canada.

Reported by the BBC, Wednesday (7/6) 2023), smoke from the fires enveloped major cities in Ontario and Quebec, including Toronto and surrounding areas.

The smoke reached New York and Connecticut, where the air quality is classified as “unhealthy”.

Most of the smoke comes from Quebec, where 160 fires are burning.

Environment Canada issued its toughest warning for Ottawa on Tuesday, calling air quality in Canada’s capital a “very high risk” to public health.

In and around Toronto, the air quality has been classified as “high risk”.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified air quality across much of the northeastern U.S. as “unhealthy,” especially for people with ailments. existing respiratory.

The air quality advisory covers most of New York and Connecticut. They also extend north to Boston and south to Pittsburgh and Washington DC.

Eastern Pennsylvania, New York and New England all saw their air quality index in the top 200, meaning “very unhealthy conditions for everyone”.

In New York, photos taken early Tuesday showed an orange haze covering the city’s skyline as smoke from the Canadian fires spread south.

Public health officials have warned people not to exercise outdoors and to minimize exposure to smoke as much as possible, as the air poses both immediate and long-term health risks. long term.

Deteriorating air quality is also forcing at least one region of Quebec — the Atikamekw community of Opitciwan, 350 km (217 miles) north of Montreal — to withdraw people with asthma and other conditions. smoke breathing.

Canada continues to experience a more active wildfire season than usual. Federal officials warned Monday that this summer could bring the biggest fires to Canada due to hot, dry conditions expected for most of the season.

Fires across the country have burned more than 3.3 million hectares – an area 12 times larger than this year’s ten-year average.

Thousands of people have been evacuated across the country, including in Quebec, where fires have so far scorched some 200,000 hectares.

Major fires also occurred in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.

How does wildfire smoke affect your health?
Experts say exposure to smoke from wildfires can cause a number of health problems.

Matthew Adams, a professor at the University of Toronto and director of the Center for Urban Environments, said the immediate effects of inhaling fire smoke include shortness of breath, increased pulse rate, chest pain or inflammation of the eyes, nose and throat.

“In these days of increased air pollution, we will see an increase in hospital visits,” Professor Adams told the BBC. “And people who visit the hospital usually have pre-existing respiratory disease.”

But smoke from fires is also linked to serious long-term health problems like cancer or lung disease, Prof Adams says, especially for people who live in areas that experience frequent wildfires.

This is caused by tiny particles in the smog, he said, which can enter the bloodstream and other parts of the human body, causing possible DNA mutations and other health problems. health.

Some studies also show that prolonged exposure to fire smoke can affect pregnant women and their unborn children, Prof Adams added.

For people who live in towns far from the fires but under current aerial surveillance, Professor Adams advises people to limit outdoor exercise to avoid inhaling smoke from the fires.

“Don’t worry too much about it,” he said. “Stay indoors and reduce your exposure.”

But in areas closer to the fire, Professor Adams recommends wearing an N95 mask outdoors to block the inhalation of most smoke particles.

He also suggests installing Hepa filters and better ventilation in the home to minimize exposure. (BBC/Ed.)