Wildfires raging around Los Angeles mean air quality has plummeted. What’s the risk for everyone breathing that air — and how can people protect themselves?
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Well, air quality here in the Los Angeles region has plummeted because of smoke from four major wildfires. It’s a health problem that people across the country have become familiar with in recent years as climate change increases the risk and intensity of wildfires. NPR’s Alejandra Borunda is here to explain the health risks and how people can protect themselves. Hi, Alejandra.
ALEJANDRA BORUNDA, BYLINE: Hi there.
CHANG: Hi. OK, I have been smelling the smoke all day. I actually feel lightheaded right now, as we speak. Can you just spell out for us, from a health perspective – how would you describe the air quality situation in LA at this moment?
BORUNDA: Yeah. I mean, the fires are actively burning right now, so things are changing really quickly across the region. And so scientists measure air quality with something called the Air Quality Index, or AQI. And on a normal day in LA, it might be 50 or 60 or a little higher. But near the fires right now…
TARIK BENMARHNIA: We have values going up to 400, which is absolutely huge.
CHANG: Wow.
BORUNDA: That’s Tarik Benmarhnia. He’s a climate and health scientist at the University of California, San Diego. And he says things are worst right near the fires, but air quality is in a dangerous range for millions of people across the LA Basin.
CHANG: Absolutely. OK, so then my next question is – how does all this wildfire smoke in the air compare to, say, car pollution or other types of air pollution that we might breathe in on a typical day, especially in a major city like Los Angeles?
BORUNDA: That is a great question. So first off, wildfires – they burn at really high temperatures, and that makes their ash more toxic than other pollution, like car exhaust. And here, in this case, there’s also the fact that it’s not just trees and plants that are burning. Lisa Miller is a wildfire smoke expert at the University of California, Davis.
LISA MILLER: The manmade materials – so things in cars, things in homes – think of all the synthetic fibers that are present in your living room – right? – in your couch, in your carpet, maybe even your clothes. All of those things can be particularly toxic.
BORUNDA: Yeah, it’s just this toxic soup.
CHANG: Yeah.
BORUNDA: And scientists don’t yet have a great handle on exactly how bad it is for long-term health, but they’re quite confident that it’s not good.
CHANG: Not good – I mean, what are some of the lasting health effects of breathing in wildfire smoke? How much do we know?
BORUNDA: It’s another good question. May-Lin Wilgus is a doctor and researcher at UCLA, and she compares the smoke exposure to smoking a lot of cigarettes. So on a day like this one, where the AQI levels are somewhere in the maybe 100 to 200 range…
CHANG: Yeah.
BORUNDA: …Away from the fire perimeter, she says…
MAY-LIN WILGUS: The exposure to fine particulate matter air pollution is similar to smoking, you know, a quarter- to half-a-pack a day.
CHANG: Wow.
BORUNDA: Yeah. So that’s not good for a healthy person. But it’s even more of a problem for people with preexisting health issues. Like, research, for example, shows that ER visits for respiratory issues like asthma or COPD – they go way up during smoke events. Sometimes they can even double. And emergency departments – they also see more issues for cardiovascular problems as well.
CHANG: And what other groups of people are at particular risk right now?
BORUNDA: So of course, the first responders and firefighters – they’re being exposed to the worst of the smoke. But a lot of the doctors I talked with have also said, be really careful with your kids because they breathe in more air relative to their body size, so they’re getting more smoke. Pregnant people should also take care and older folks and those with preexisting health problems.
CHANG: OK, so real quick – how should we all be protecting ourselves right now, when there’s all this smoke?
BORUNDA: So the best thing to do is get out of the smoke entirely. But if you can’t evacuate the area, doctors and scientists say try to stay indoors, with the windows tightly shut. Limit your activity. Use an air filter if you have one. And if you have to go outside, maybe use an N95 mask, like from COVID, ’cause those are pretty good at blocking tiny particles from getting into your lungs.
CHANG: That is Alejandra Borunda from NPR’s climate desk. Thank you so much, Alejandra.
BORUNDA: Thanks so much.
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