Air quality OK in P.E.I. for now, but Islanders urged to monitor numbers closely

While P.E.I. hasn't experienced the same kinds of air quality issues as Halifax, Ottawa and New York, experts say everyone needs to keep an eye on the Air Quality Health Index, or AQHI. 

That's because forest fires create tiny particles, known as particulate matter, which can blow around in the air and be carried by wind currents. 

Those who are at greatest risk from the effects of forest fire smoke include seniors, pregnant people, children, people who work outside — and those with existing heart and lung conditions like asthma or COPD. 

Michelle Donaldson, director of communications for Lung NS/PEI, said people with respiratory issues are particularly vulnerable. 

"The particulate matter is able to get past the mucus membranes in our noses and our throats and get down into the airways," she said.

"It can cause some serious issues for people who already struggle to breathe."

Inhaling particulate matter can lead to chronic cough and heart palpitations, or exacerbate usual symptoms.

Donaldson, who lives in Nova Scotia, said that could land people in hospital. She said she's heard a lot more people have been reporting to emergency departments in her province because of respiratory issues. 

Staying safe

She suggests people keep their windows and doors closed, turn their HVAC system on to recirculate the air, avoid going outside, and drink lots of water. 

"If they need to, then they can go to places like malls and libraries for some cool, clean air," Donaldson said. 

"We have been getting a number of calls from people with respiratory issues ... obviously when people are struggling to breathe it becomes more of a concern."

Scott Weichenthal is an environmental epidemiologist and associate professor at McGill University. He studies the health effects of environmental pollutants on humans. 

Weichenthal said there's a complex mixture of chemicals released by forest fires.

"In reality, pretty much every chemical you can imagine is coming off a forest fire," he said. "Many are known human carcinogens. And in some cases, it's not just the trees burning, but people's homes or vehicles. 

"Plastics are burning, metals are burning — there could be a whole range of things in the emissions."

Long-term effects studied 

Weichenthal said while there is quite a bit of information about short-term impacts, long-term effects of forest fire smoke are less known. 

"These are more relevant for people that live in places where these forest fire events happen now on a fairly regular basis. So you can think about places out west," he said. 

"This is no longer just a short-term exposure for you, it's a longer-term exposure, in which case outcomes like certain kinds of cancer can become relevant."

Weichenthal said his team published a study that looked at where forest fires had happened, and followed people who lived there over time. 

"We saw that people who live closest to fires had higher risks of lung cancer and brain tumours .... I believe it was in the range of 5 to 10 per cent increased risk — which is not a huge risk at an individual level," he said.

"But the issue with most environmental exposures, including air pollution, is it's not the size of the risk but the prevalence of the exposure."

Watching the forecast

The AQHI measures the risk of health risks related to air quality on a scale from 1 (low risk) to 10 (high risk). When there's extreme pollution, the reported figure is 10+.

Environment Canada provides AQHI summaries for locations across Canada. In P.E.I., there's observed conditions and air quality forecasts for Charlottetown, St. Peters Bay, and Summerside (Wellington).

Roshini Kassie is an air quality specialist with the water and air quality bureau at Health Canada.

She said besides the AQHI, Canadians can also watch for special air quality statements from Environment Canada. 

"Smoke doesn't know borders. It goes on the wind, so as the wind blows is where the smoke goes to," she said. 

"Weather forecasters are monitoring the winds and the smoke and when they see and forecast like, 'Oh, the winds are coming this way towards P.E.I.,' that's when they'll put up the special air quality statement."

As for what AQHI figures should lead people to start taking action, Kassie said it all depends on the individual. 

"When you start noticing that you're getting that throat irritation, coughs, headaches, runny noses, even dizziness and shortness of breath — that's the number you should pay attention to," she said.

"Stop your activities, [go] inside, turn on your portable air purifier, and maybe even talk to your health professional." 

Kassie said the number for people at higher risk could be much lower than others.