WLWT: Doctor from UC College of Medicine discusses air quality impacts from wildfire smoke
UC expert says the smoke could cause serious health problems
Smoke from wildfires in Canada recently caused serious visibility and, more importantly, serious health concerns across much of the eastern part of the United States, including the Tristate. WLWT-TV interviewed George Leikauf, PhD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine of the UC College of Medicine about the local impact of the smoke.
Leikauf was asked if this was something the average person in Cincinnati should be concerned about.
“Yes," he said. "People with any heart disease, with lung problems particularly can be affected very strongly by the unhealthy air pollution like that," he said.
As for what is in the smoke blowing south from Canada, Leikauf the main thing that is traveling is particles.
George Leikauf, PhD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the UC College of Medicine
“The small particles that are less than two and a half microns or micrometers are able to penetrate all the way into the deepest part of your lung and absorbed into your body so they can travel to different parts of your body. When that happens it aggravates the cells in your lung, and they release mediators that cause problems for all kinds of things. For example, your airways will restrict if you have asthma or your heart will be beating at a higher rate and be stressed. These particles are dangerous. Besides that there are a lot of other chemicals in the fire, closer to the fire that are very dangerous.”
Leikauf says there are several things people should do to mitigate the impact of the smoky conditions.
“Limit your exercise outside, limit your time outside,” he says. “The N-95 mask actually blocks these particles that we’re talking about, so it’s a good thing for people to wear when you're outside. You can get air cleaners that you can put inside your home. You can actually build one if you take a box fan, just put a filter on the back, get some duct tape on the inside of the fan, it will actually help filter the air.”
Leikauf says one particularly problematic aspect of the smoke from the wildfires is the ability of the particles to get inside buildings.
“Unlike ozone which when you go inside you really reduce the concentration of ozone, these particles penetrate through into your home, about 70%," he says. "So, if you have an unhealthy condition, you can imagine 70% less is not enough.”
Illustration at the top of dispersion of smoke from wildfires in Canada/Janet Loehrke/USA TODAY/CIRA/NOAA via AP
Related Stories
Bono, Chris Tucker Visit UC To Discuss Africa
December 5, 2002
U2's Bono and comedian-actor Chris Tucker led a delegation from the DATA organization who came to UC to talk about potentially catastrophic problems in Africa.
New Year's Help for Those Looking to Kick the Habit
December 20, 2002
Quitting smoking consistently ranks among the top three resolutions made by New Year's resolvers each year.
E-BRIEF: Let's Toast to a Healthier 2003
January 8, 2003
The New Year often means a new health kick: Vows to tone up and trim down, and maybe going to the doctor and getting ourselves as regularly "maintenanced" as we do our cars. So, this week's University of Cincinnati e-briefing examines the health concerns of the young and old, and what you should be doing to preserve your good health.
Today's ML King Events: One On, One Off
January 8, 2003
A memorial march, presentations, poetry and dance will pay tribute to the slain civil rights leader.
UC Named Lead Organization for OSHA Training Consortium
January 13, 2003
UC Continuing Medical Education (CME) has been selected as the lead organization for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Great Lakes Training Consortium by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Ignorance of Stroke s Warning Signs a Barrier to Treatment; More Education Needed, UC Researchers Report in JAMA
January 13, 2003
Demographic groups facing the greatest risk of death and disability from stroke are the least likely to recognize stroke s warning signs and risk factors, according to a study by UC researchers published in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Ignorance of Stroke s Warning Signs a Barrier to Treatment; More Education Needed, UC Researchers Report in JAMA
January 14, 2003
Demographic groups facing the greatest risk of death and disability from stroke are the least likely to recognize stroke s warning signs and risk factors, according to a study by UC researchers published in the January 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
UC Researchers Find New Link Between the Eye and the Clock in the Brain
January 20, 2003
Results of a study done by a team of researchers working in the laboratories of Michael Lehman, PhD, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the UC College of Medicine, will appear in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience.
UC Researchers Find New Link Between the Eye and the Clock in the Brain
January 21, 2003
Results of a study done by a team of researchers working in the laboratories of Michael Lehman, PhD, professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the UC College of Medicine, will appear in the February issue of Nature Neuroscience.
Leader of Fetal Surgery to Deliver Lectures at UC
January 31, 2003
An internationally recognized authority on fetal surgery will lecture at the UC Medical Center, representing the first of a series of lectures on fetal surgery presented by the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn).