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home / 世界杯决赛2022

wildfires tainting health, air we breathe

windsor regional hospital’s chief of staff is urging re...

by dave battagello

jun 7 2023
read time 2 minute read
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a bird sits on a wire as the sun rises wednesday, june 7, 2023 against smoky and hazy sky.. dan janisse / windsor star
windsor regional hospital’s chief of staff is urging residents to stay inside during periods of poor air quality caused by thick smoke from wildfires impacting millions of canadians, including those in the windsor area.
dr. wassim saad on wednesday told the star anyone can experience adverse symptoms from breathing in the polluted air, including shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and headaches. he most strongly advised those with underlying heart or lung conditions and the very young and old to avoid the outdoors.
“everybody should be concerned about the air quality at this time, but there are particular people who should be more concerned and take extra precautions,” saad said.
individuals with asthma and other lung conditions could feel the effects of poor air quality within a matter of minutes, he said. for heart patients, it might take longer, but the particles absorbed by the bloodstream through the lungs could cause inflammation.
“for anyone in those high-risk categories, we’re recommending avoiding it as much as you possibly can, because even a short-term exposure can lead to a worsening of your symptoms.”
saad said windsor regional hospital is expecting to see a rise in patients as a result of wildfire smoke conditions.
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wildfire smoke is a mixture of gases, particles and water vapour that contains ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and fine particulate matter (pm 2.5). wearing a face mask will not protect against the fine particles that can cause health problems, saad said.
health canada issued an alert wednesday about poor air quality caused by wildfires across the nation.
“there is no safe level of exposure to wildfire smoke,” the statement said. “this means that it can damage your health at very low levels. even if you’re not close to a fire, you can still be affected by the smoke.”
health canada urges everyone to monitor the air quality health index (aqhi) for the local community. as of wednesday morning, the index pointed to the windsor area being listed as “high risk” with a forecast to remain that way at least through thursday night.
keep windows and doors closed and turn on the air conditioning, if possible. if you do not have air conditioning and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, residents are encouraged to seek out local cooling or clean air space in other facilities.
it also being recommended to use recirculation settings on an hvac system to prevent smoke from entering your home.
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