The California Wildfires Are Making the Air Toxic—Here’s How to Protect Your Health
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Los Angeles residents are dealing with dangerously unhealthy air as three California wildfires continue to burn across the greater LA region, destroying homes and prompting a smoke advisory from the city’s Department of Public Health. For perspective, an air quality index (AQI) of 100 is considered hazardous for sensitive groups, while anything over 150 poses risks to everyone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And as of Wednesday morning, the AQI for most of the LA metropolitan area was well over 300.
When you breathe in air above healthy levels, "the lungs and nasal passages…act as they would towards a bacteria or a virus, triggering an initial response of coughing and sneezing, and a more long-term response of mucous production and inflammation,” Tania Elliott, MD, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, tells SELF.
At best, this can irritate your lungs. But at worst, they can cause serious, long-term health repercussions—a risk no one should take lightly. That’s why taking every possible safety precaution is crucial. Here’s what you need to know.
Why should I be concerned about air quality?
Before diving into the specifics, it’s important to distinguish the two main categories of air pollution. First, there's ground-level ozone, a harmful type of pollution that forms when certain chemicals (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds) are exposed to heat and sunlight from sources like car exhaust, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NAOO).
The second category is particulate matter. This includes things like dust, dirt, soot, and smoke—all of which are usually emitted into the air by vehicles, factories, construction sites, and yep, wildfires. While your nose and mouth can generally help filter out these airborne contaminants, this kind of pollution is concerning because it can become so concentrated, Raymond Casciari, MD, a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, tells SELF. “There’s a point where the amount is so much that it overcomes your natural filtering system,” he explains—and an event as severe as a large-scale wildfire can definitely overwhelm your respiratory system.
Generally, high pollution levels are dangerous for everyone—even short-term exposure can make it hard to breathe and contribute to long-term health issues like impaired lung function and respiratory diseases. However, the risks are especially high for anyone with preexisting lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). “The harmful materials in the air can exacerbate the underlying lung disease and result in increased cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing,” Jonathan Parsons, MD, director of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF.
How to stay safe during poor air quality days
It’s easy to feel helpless when the state of the environment is out of your control. However, there are still some things you can do to protect yourself.
1. Stay informed.
For starters, you’ll want to keep tabs on the air quality near you—and AirNow.gov is a great resource for that. This site breaks down air quality reports across the country on any given day, using a color-coded scale (green = good, red = hazardous). It also offers detailed forecasts about problematic air quality. That way, you can plan ahead for days when pollution is expected to spike.
And continue to keep up with any alerts as the days go on. Issued by the NOAA and EPA, these updates warn people in affected areas about dangerous levels of air pollution. (And just a heads-up: these are different from those allergen count alerts that tell you when pollen is running wild.)
2. Stay indoors.
Perhaps most obviously, stay inside if the air quality in your area is poor. Keep windows and doors closed to avoid letting pollutants indoors. Run a portable air filter, if you have one. (If you don’t, the CDC recommends creating a DIY filtration unit with box fans—here’s a video on how to do that.) And if you have a central air conditioning system, use high efficiency filters labeled "HEPA" or MERV 13 or higher, or set it to “recirculate mode” to clean the air.
Remember, accidentally inhaling wildfire smoke can irritate your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, per the CDC. So do your best to remain indoors—even if that means canceling your outdoor jog or upcoming dinner reservation.
3. If you have to go outside, wear a respirator.
In the event that you, for whatever reason, need to leave your home, be sure to protect yourself with a face mask—or better yet, an N95 respirator, since these masks are designed to fit tightly on your face and form a strong barrier against even airborne contaminants in the environment. Just make sure you’re wearing it correctly (these visual instructions should help).
And if you’re driving, run your car’s air conditioner—this can help filter out pollution, including particulate matter, Dr. Casciari adds.
4. Make sure you aren’t adding “indoor pollution” in your home.
In other words, don’t light any scented candles or use gas, propane, fireplaces, or your vacuums. Research shows that these things aren’t inherently dangerous when used occasionally, but when the air quality outside is already poor, you’ll want to be extra cautious of exposing yourself to even more particulate matter.
With environmental disasters like wildfires that are out of your control, it’s extra important to minimize whatever risks you can and take action. So keep tabs on any updates, stay informed, and seriously, do your best to be inside—it’s worth it for your health.
Related:
Here's How You Can Help People Affected by California's Wildfires
8 Habits to Start If You’d Like to Live More Eco-Consciously
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Originally Appeared on Self
