How Wildfires Impact Your Health
Imagine for a second you are backpacking through a national park in California and you notice in the distance a wildfire, it’s scary to think about right? As a backpacker myself I completely understand the fear that they bring to people, I have witnessed first hand the danger and devastation wildfires cause as they destroy nearly everything in its path. We see the hard working emergency services to help evacuate people away from fires and advise people to leave to ensure everyone’s safety. However the fires are not the only danger to think about, we also need to think about the harmful pollution and poor air quality they produce and the health concerns they cause.
There is a very real concern about the environmental impact that wildfires have and the huge effect on the atmosphere. Studies show how these concerns and impact our health is something to take seriously. According to some experts, wildfires cause high levels of pollution and air quality issues, traveling as far as 3000 miles away from where the wildfire was located. The expert's highlight are a number of risks associated with wildfires:
Illness From Toxic Smoke - With every wildfire there is risk of inhaling harmful smoke. Anyone who breathes in this smoke can potentially become very ill and may turn into an emergency.
Contact With Harmful Chemicals - Wildfires create chemicals in the air called Volatile Organic Compounds, these chemicals are extremely bad for your health and if they are breathed in, they can cause lasting lung damage.
Inhaling Unhealthy Particles - Wildfires blow ultra fine soot and ash particles into the air that can travel deep into the lungs. This can be extremely harmful for vulnerable groups including elderly, children and pregnant women. They can also cause underlying health problems, such as asthma.
Death Can’t Be Ruled Out - Although the number of deaths is low, death is still a potential risk to consider. According to the World Health Organization, volcanic activity and wildfire have caused nearly 2400 deaths from 1998 to 2017.
With harmful and potentially dangerous smoke, dust and debris going into the air it is only natural to be concerned about the very harmful air that we are being exposed to and how it affects our health. Studies from the United States Environmental Protection Agency show that harmful particle pollution represents the main component of wildfire smoke and is the principal public health threat. So you might be want to know what is found in the particle pollution, here are a list particles that can be found in wildfire smoke:
- Soot
- Acids
- Metals
- Ammonium Sulfate
- Ammonium Nitrate
- Sodium Chloride
- Soil
- Dust
- Biological Materials
Luckily for us, we have enough information about the air quality where we live on the air quality index (AQI). Just like other types of pollution, this can be a good indicator for how safe the air around you is or when you might need to be prepared to combat the harmful wildfire pollution.
How To Stay Protected
The most effective ways to protect yourself would be to make sure you stay indoors as often as you can to avoid too much exposure to the outdoor air and to make sure your indoor air quality is properly purified with all the harmful materials removed. Purifying indoor air can be done effectively and affordably with an air purifier with Hepa Filter Technology. Jya Fjord and Fjord Pro have NanoGuard Technology, specialized true hepa filter capable of filtering 99.99% dust, and smoke, taking away the invisible and harmful debris caused by a wildfire.
What Makes Jya Stand Out?
The Jya Fjord and Fjord Pro doesn’t just filter out air, it proactively provides vital information about the air in the room with its vital air detection system that checks 5 major air quality data stats. This of course is vital to allow you to proactively adjust the settings when it is most important to eliminate harmful materials from a wildfire that may arrive in your home when you least expect it. This leads to another important feature with automatic mode, with this Jya Fjord and Fjord Pro are able to provide smart purification by using built-it-sensors adjust the running speed. With these necessary features to keep you protected, you can be rest assured that the indoor air you breathe will be safe regardless of wildfire pollution. Check out more great information about both the Jya Fjord and Jya Fjord Pro by checking their product pages.
