Report Finds Smoke From , Canada's Wildfires as Dangerous , as Secondhand Smoke.
'Newsweek' reports that smoke from the still ongoing
Canadian wildfires may have been as damaging
as prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke.
According to scientists at Rutgers University, smoke from
the wildfires could be compared to secondhand smoke
in bars before smoking was banned in most states. .
Smoke from the fires has engulfed much of
New York and other parts of the United States. .
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set safety limits for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to 15 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24-hour period.
At its peak, air quality in New York City
had an average concentration of PM2.5
of 330 micrograms per cubic meter on June 7. .
Inhaling smoke from any source
can have negative health effects
and comparing it to the number
of cigarettes can be challenging due
to the variations in composition and
toxicity of different types of smoke. , Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .
Other factors, such as the duration
and intensity of exposure also play
a significant role in determining
the potential health impact, Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .
'Newsweek' reports that the team also found that
the longer smoke lingers in the atmosphere,
the greater the impact it has on human health. .
We know that the longer the smoke is in the
atmosphere—aging—there is a greater risk
of chemical changes creating more free
radicals that are highly reactive and have the
potential to cause adverse health effects, Christopher Migliaccio, Research associate professor in
toxicology at the University of Montana, via 'Newsweek' .
The team warns that the frequency and severity
of fires, and the dangerous smoke they produce,
is expected to increase in coming years.