How Canada Wildfire Smoke Is Threatening The Air Quality Of US Cities, Experts Explain | Exclusive

The devastating wildfires in Canada have not only caused significant damage within the country but also had far-reaching effects on cities across the United States. These wildfires, fuelled by dry conditions and strong winds, have resulted in thick smoke and hazardous air quality that has travelled southward, impacting several US cities.

Major urban centres such as Seattle, Portland, and even as far as New York City have experienced hazy skies, reduced visibility, and health concerns due to the influx of smoke. The poor air quality has posed risks to vulnerable populations, including those with respiratory conditions, and has prompted local authorities to issue advisories and take measures to protect public health.

New York City, in particular, is grappling with a surge in air pollution caused by the billowing smoke. In an interview with Jagran English, experts shed light on the toxicity of the smoke and the potential dangers it poses to public health.

Jack Caravanos, an environmental public health professor from New York University School of Global Public Health explained that smoke from the Canadian wildfires contains high concentrations of fine particulate matter and ozone.

When asked how the smoke from the Canadian wildfires is more toxic than normal air pollution, he said, "Air pollution" is a very complicated word. US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) declared seven priority and they call it National Ambient Air Quality Standards and include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen, ozone, suspended particulate matter, lead and there was another one called organic papers.

(A smoke column rises from wildfire near Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada. Image credit: Reuters)

"So, these six National Ambient Air Quality Standards are ubiquitous in big cities. But fortunately, we don't have sulphur dioxide anymore. So, that's good news because it is a very dangerous gas, very irritating, responsible for thousands of people dying in London during the 1952 smog episode.

"Therefore, what we’re seeing now is just primarily particulate and ozone. But again, it is a question of how much you are inhaling it. In 2017 or 2018, WHO reviewed the epidemiology on air pollution from carbonaceous sources as opposed to sand. Think of the Sahara. That is a different type of air pollution.

"What we're seeing here is air pollution from carbonaceous combustion that is a carcinogen, in fact, class eight carcinogen, which causes lung cancer in humans. So, the material we're seeing, long term exposer to that, will absolutely enhance lung cancer rates in New York.

"Now, did I really inhale enough to cause lung cancer to be manifested years from now? I can't say for sure. But I'd say probably not. It was a sudden high exposure. But it just wasn't anything like in Delhi and Jakarta, where levels of air pollution are quite high day after day after day. Therefore, because of that, the declaration by WHO said what we're breathing is potentially a Carcin."

Lee Billings, a senior editor covering space and physics for Scientific American, shared his experience of the impact of the smoke in New York and New Jersey. He highlighted the irritant nature of the fine particulates present in the smoke, which can cause respiratory and eye discomfort, particularly for those with preexisting conditions.

When asked how dangerous is the smoke billowing from the wildfire, he said, "It's certainly not good. The fine particulates in the air, their high concentration, irritate your lungs, your mucous membranes, your throat, and even your eyes. They can especially exacerbate or inflame preexisting conditions. So, they’re very dangerous for people who have various sorts of lung diseases or asthma or a medical condition that makes them more vulnerable. It is also harmful for the younger generation.

(The thick haze of pollution cast an eerie, yellowish glow over Manhattan's famous skyscrapers. Image credit: Reuters)

"My throat is a little scratchy, my eyes are a little red. When I'm outside, I'm wearing an N95 mask. For the past two days, I'm in northern New Jersey, which is a little outside of New York City. I have been in the city on one of those days, and here in NJ for the other days. But for the past 48 hours or so, as the plume of smoke from the wildfires in eastern Canada has drifted and shifted and draped around the northeast United States, we have had fluctuating conditions, but generally bad. It smells like a campfire or barbeque outside.

"The sky turns yellow, orange or a little pink, depending upon how bad the smoke is. The sun is pale orange and you can directly look at it without having to squish your eyes because there is so much smoke blocking the light. The moon, last night, was pink and again that’s all from the smoke, that's in the atmosphere from these wildfires.

"We have seen traffic disruptions here, where people are having trouble driving, because the visibility is so low. We have had school cancellations as well. People have minimised their outside activity and are also using air purifiers at home. Some people are also using wet towels around the edges of their windows and doors. I haven't had to do that. The air quality inside my house is okay. It doesn't smell like a barbeque or a campfire here. But the instant you step outside, it's different.

He also highlighted the wider geographic impact of the smoke, with other cities along the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard of the United States experiencing deteriorating air quality.

"One other thing I'll say is, I'm here in New Jersey and in New York, that's where we have seen a lot of these effects. But the plume, the smoke, continues to move, and evolve. So, now people down in the south are also experiencing bad air. Same thing with other cities that are on the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard of the United States.

"We'll have to see how long this lasts and how much worse it gets while the wildfires continue to burn, presuming they could be producing smoke for quite some time. But as the seasonal winds shift, it could change the direction of the smoke. So, in New York and New Jersey at least, we could have some fresh air soon.

(The Statue of Liberty is covered in haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada, in New York, US. Image credit: Reuters)

For the unversed, wildfires in the US are a recurring and concerning phenomenon. In 2021, the Dixie Fire in California gained significant attention as it ravaged more than 463,000 acres in Northern California. Fuelled by severe drought conditions and rising global temperatures, the fire posed a threat to nearly 14,000 structures and became the second-largest fire in California's history.

Similarly, the 2020 Bay Area Fire, spanning across California, Oregon, and Washington state, was one of the largest wildfires in US history. It burned close to one million acres of land and tragically claimed the lives of at least 35 people.

The North Complex fire, one of the significant fires during that period, devastated over 300,000 acres and caused the loss of 16 lives. Stanford researchers have estimated that the resulting smoke and poor air quality from these wildfires led to hundreds of excess deaths in California cities, as well as in Washington and Oregon.

These incidents highlight the alarming frequency and severity of wildfires in the US, emphasising the urgent need for comprehensive measures to mitigate the devastating impacts they have on human lives, ecosystems, and the environment.

Antonio Paris, a Planetary Science consultant at NASA and Chief Scientist at Planetary Sciences, Inc. shared insights with Jagran English on the smoke billowing towards the US and its causes. Based in Orlando, Florida, he mentioned being able to smell the smoke even though it wasn't visible from his location.

Speaking about why the smoke is billowing towards the US, he said, "To tell you the truth, I'm down in Orlando, Florida, and I can smell the smoke from here. I can’t really see it but I can smell it. But if you are from New York City or Pennsylvania, you can definitely see the smoke as you have seen on the internet. Even California had some serious fires, a couple of years ago. Last year, when I was in Phoenix, Flagstaff area in Arizona, we had a massive fire too, that forced us to evaluate up into Utah.

"Now, we are seeing another string of fires up in Canada. I think there are over 150 fires now in just Canada's Quebec area alone. As the fire season has barely started, I think it is going to be a tough summer for both Canada and the US.

(Smoke rises from a wildfire in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. Image credit: Reuters)

"Weather patterns up in the north are kind of cyclic. Think of an invisible hurricane. Low-pressure systems rotate one way and high-pressure systems rotate the opposite way. What you got is a collision of high-pressure system in the west and low-pressure system in the east of New York. So, that is causing the wind pattern or the smoke pattern to come down south from Canada.

"It is kind of almost following the eastern shoreline of the country along Virginia, Washington DC, Carolinas. It's very thick. So, it causes visibility to be reduced, so aircraft can't fly, and you can't drive as fast or run as fast through the smoke. Anything over 200 AQI limit is very dangerous."

In comparing the air pollution caused by Canadian wildfires to regular air pollution, Paris highlighted a crucial distinction. He said, "Other greenhouses like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, do affect us. But at the moment, those tend to increase with altitude. But smoke is denser, it is heavier. So, it comes down closer to where we’re at. So, it's more dangerous. It is essential to wear a mask and follow all the government advisories."

Paris also explained the economic impact of the Canadian wildfires, mentioning that major airports in and around New York City have halted flights, resulting in "economic strife." The combination of restricted visibility and hazardous air quality has led to disruptions in transportation and daily activities, affecting both public health and the economy.