Another air quality warning has been issued across the region as wildfires continue to burn in Canada and smoke drifts into the northeastern United States. In Philadelphia today the city’s skyscrapers were sunk in a hazy sky and a burning smell hung in the air.
Particulate matter in the air can affect vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those with respiratory and cardiovascular problems. People are advised to avoid outdoor activities.
Wearing the right kind of mask might help, said Dr. Jane Clougherty, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health.
“Just as we’ve learned in the midst of the COVID pandemic, N95 masks will help filter out most of the fine dust particles,” she said. “Unfortunately, face masks don’t help remove gases from the air, but they can help reduce individual particulate exposure.”
She said KN95 masks would also be effective.
dr Khalil Savary, a pediatric pulmonologist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, adds that N95 masks need to fit well to be effective.
He advises people to avoid any outdoor activity, including al fresco dining, and to close windows.
“If you have a window unit or a central air unit in the house and you can circulate the air inside, that’s good,” Savary said. “Even when you’re in the car, you should tune in [the] recirculate [button] on your car instead of having the windows open.”
Dryer and air conditioner exhaust fans with exhaust valves could collect outside air and should be closed, he said. Lighting incense, spraying aerosol products, and using gas, wood, propane, or stoves can also worsen indoor air quality. Cleaning with a vacuum without a HEPA filter can also lead to poor air quality, Savary said.
According to Clougherty, air conditioning filters can also remove particulates and reduce the effects of poor air quality. The downside, she said, is that air conditioning causes more emissions.
“Air conditioning is very power intensive, which means we’re increasing grid demand and emissions from power plants ahead,” Clougherty said.
Buying an air purifier might help, but it has to be a HEPA filter, experts say. Other types of systems can contribute to indoor ozone levels, which is a gaseous pollutant that can irritate the respiratory system. The Environmental Protection Agency has information on air purifiers.
However, Savary warns against running to the store.
“It’s a bit like the toilet paper debacle of 2020. If you don’t already have a HEPA filter, you can still reduce your exposure by closing the windows and letting the air circulate in your home,” he said.
Savary advises his patients to make what he calls an “air purifier out of bricks.”
“You can get an 8″ x 8″ box fan and a nice air filter from a hardware store, you put it on the back and taped it in place and you have a filter,” he said.