As wildfires continue to burn across the Prairies, air quality continues to be an issue for many parts of Alberta.
Some communities in the province remained under an air quality warning on Tuesday while special air quality statements were issued for others.
Air quality health index values posted on the Environment and Climate Change Canada website Tuesday morning showed Edmonton, Strathcona County, Lamont County, Sturgeon County, Fort Saskatchewan, Fort McMurray, Wood Buffalo-South, Grande Prairie and Cold Lake all had been given an AQHI rating of 10+, considered by the weather agency to be “high risk.” Calgary had a rating of 8.
The AQHI, or Air Quality Health Index, indicates the level of pollution in a community. A rating of 1-3 is low risk, 4-6 is moderate risk, 7-10 is high risk and over 10 is very high risk.
“Smoke is causing or expected to cause poor air quality and reduced visibility,” ECCC said in a statement. “Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour.
“As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events.”
Richard Leigh, a professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Calgary, said what Alberta has seen in terms of wildfire smoke drifting through the air this spring seems to be “a repetition of previous summers going back over the last decade.”
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“It seems with each summer, the wildfire (season) … starts a little earlier and perhaps it ends up being a little more intense summer over summer,” he said.
The weather agency noted that the people most at risk of experiencing adverse effects from the smoke are seniors, pregnant women, young children and people with pre-existing health conditions.
“I think the immediate concerns are the irritation that the wildfire smoke and particulate matter causes in terms of burning eyes, respiratory symptoms, cough, episodes of shortness of breath,” Leigh said. “We know people who have respiratory diseases … are at increased risk of having worsening of their symptoms and attacks that will ultimately land them in the emergency room.
“I think people should just be careful. … Try to avoid going outdoors.”
Leigh noted the long-term implications of wildfire smoke impacting communities each summer is not yet known but that researchers in Canada are working to find answers.
“(Researchers are looking at) whether repetitive exposure to wildfire smoke is going to result in increased risk of cancer or types of cancers we don’t yet know about.”
ECCC recommends that people who work outdoors should try to “reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors and seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms.”
“If you must spend time outdoors, a well-constructed, well-fitting and properly worn respirator type mask can reduce your exposure to the fine particles in the smoke,” the weather agency said. “Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health.
“When indoors, keep windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there is an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool. Protect your indoor air from wildfire smoke. Actions can include using a clean, good quality air filter in your ventilation system and/or a certified portable air cleaner that can filter fine particles.”
For more information on wildfire smoke and its health impacts, you can visit the federal government’s website here.
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