Some health care providers in the Midwest say they are seeing more respiratory illnesses in recent days possibly related to the wildfires in Canada. Air quality in the Midwest has dropped to alarming levels since Tuesday.
In Iowa, providers at MercyOne clinics around Des Moines say more patients than usual are showing up with symptoms consistent with air pollution, including worsening asthma and COPD.
In Madison, Wisconsin, a representative from SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital says its pulmonologist has seen an increase in patients with COPD and long-term lung disease experiencing respiratory irritation.
A spokesman for Nebraska Medicine Clinics says providers have yet to see a significant increase.
As for when the air should clear, the EPA says it depends on how long the fires last.
EPA Environmental Scientist Lance Avey said air quality this time of year is already lower because of ozone problems in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska – Region 7 that Avey oversees.
“We're definitely seeing high air quality impacts in the Midwest and Region 7 that are potentially affected by wildfire smoke in Canada,” Avey said. “But it's also mixed with our typical summer conditions.”
This means that people who are sensitive to changes in air quality may experience health effects.
An estimated 136 fires are burning near Quebec, along with more than 400 other fires across Canada, according to the Society for the Protection of Forests from Firesa non-profit organization in Quebec that monitors wildfires.
Smoke from wildfires in Canada has weighed on air quality in places like New York and caused hazy skies and reduced visibility.
“There's a lot of big fires, a lot of wildfires up there — as long as they're still burning, there's going to be the potential to affect air quality in the U.S. and the Midwest,” Avey said. “It's the weather pattern that can change from day to day, week to week that will drive the impact on parts of the US.”
Avey said that while the weather pattern currently carries the lion's share of wildfire smoke and particulate matter into the Northeast, a change in the wind could put the Midwest at risk.
“This has the ability to shift and we may see larger impacts in the Midwest,” Avey said.
Particle problems
Air pollution from wildfires is a growing health risk, according to Angela Tin, national senior director of the American Lung Association.
“Fire is different than a prescribed burn,” Tin said. “The temperature is uncontrollable, the fuel is uncontrollable because different kinds of materials are burning. So the smoke goes up into the air and depending on the wind and the terrain it falls in unpredictable areas.”
Tin said she is concerned that the fires are sending particles over long distances. He said that makes things worse for the Midwest, where particulate pollution is already an issue.
“Fine particles find their way deep into the body and deep into the lungs and bloodstream,” Tin said. “That's why it's a respiratory and cardiovascular concern.”
He added that there are short-term and long-term effects of exposure to the particles, including chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function, lung cancer and in some cases, heart disease.
With the wildfires in mind, Tin said people should try to limit their time outside when air quality is poor and be aware of alerts with the EPA's AirNow air quality detector. He said people with respiratory problems can also use air purifiers while at home, as heavy smoke from wildfires can often enter homes.
Kristofor Husted contributed to this report.
The Midwest Newsroomis an in-depth and investigative journalism partnership, including KCUR, St. Louis Public Radio, Iowa Public Radio, Nebraska Public Media and NPR.
