September 2, 2021

Wildfires increase risk of serious reactions to COVID. Guest author Dr. Lyn Patrick explains what you can do about it.

Content from the following article was previously published by the author as a Blog Series at: https://www.environmentalhealthsymposium.com/blog

Smoke from wildfires blanketing the West Coast in the last two years have caused some of the planet’s worst air quality, with smoke reaching the East Coast and Europe.

The EPA PM 2.5 AQI (Air Quality Index) in Portland, Eugene OR and Vancouver British Columbia reached over 700 last year, according to PurpleAir, a network of local indoor and outdoor air sensors purchased and used by individuals throughout the U.S. and uploaded to a national map in real time.

This would make them the most polluted cities in the world for that period. And as the EPA AQI only goes to 500, the EPA is clear that recommendations for readings above 500 is to “remain in a room or building with filtered air”.

The live PurpleAir map screenshot of Northern California taken at 10:30 am on August 25th 2021, shows multiple readings in N. California over 150. According to the EPA, for readings between 151-200: “everyone may experience health effects if exposed for more than 24 hours, members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.”

SNIP