“The problem is bigger than just the smoke we’re inhaling.”
As the deadly California fires persisted into a second week, a West Virginia University air quality expert said people within hundreds of miles may experience the effects.
Timothy Nurkiewicz, professor of the physiology, pharmacology and toxicology in the WVU School of Medicine, said he also believes that — beyond any immediate health concerns — a swift, thorough cleanup must occur to prevent lingering effects in the environment.
“The folks within a 10-mile radius are in the greatest peril. With extremely high air pollution resulting from the fires, even a healthy person may have irritation of the eyes and complications breathing. What we’re seeing in hospitals are people with asthmatic events and bronchitis.
“For those with pre-existing conditions, cardiovascular diseases can be exacerbated after inhalation exposure to this smoke. That could mean symptoms such as elevated blood pressure and chest pain.
“What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is called a ‘wildland urban interface fire.’ This is different from a typical wildfire. In a wildland urban interface fire, you have housing and urban environments built up against and in the wildlands.
“Now we’re getting two different profiles of toxicants — one from the wildlands and one from the urban environment and its building materials. The frequency and intensity of these fires will continue to increase with ongoing development and building into the wildlands.
Nurkiewicz directs the Center for Inhalation Toxicology, a research hub for investigators to measure, identify and discover how air particles affect human health.
“It’s fair to estimate that the smoke will travel hundreds of miles away. But the smoke will be diluted down by the time it reaches mid-America,” he warns.
How can authorities and people help slow the damage?
“While everyone’s focused on the immediate effects, as they should be, there must be cleanup after the fire, says Nurkiewicz. “A smoke plume is going to cover a tremendous area and that smoke will settle into the environment we’re interacting with. It’s like cigarette smoke. If someone’s sitting in a room smoking cigarettes, it will settle onto surfaces. It’s the same thing with these fires. You can’t just leave all these ashes around and not have some sort of exposure.
“The problem is bigger than just the smoke we’re inhaling.”
