TRAVERSE CITY — Winds keep pushing wildfire smoke from Canada across the upper Midwest, posing a health risk for people with underlying conditions.
Michigan’s Lower Peninsula was spared the worst of poor air quality from the smoke on Friday, according to AirNow, an online map from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But on Saturday the amount of PM2.5 — a term for tiny airborne particles smaller than 2.5 microns — could pose a hazard to people in sensitive groups.
That includes the very young, very old and anyone with underlying breathing or heart conditions, said Kevin Omilusik, chief medical officer for Munson Healthcare’s east region. Those breathing conditions include asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
“So if you have a chronic lung illness and have scarring on some of that healthy tissue, then you have less reserves to process these particles and process air movement,” he said. “So it takes less of an exposure if you don’t have full, healthy lungs.”
Pregnant women and people who spend long stretches outside are also at risk, Omilusik said.
Be alert to your pets’ breathing as well, he added — when horseback riding, a horse will feel more strain than the rider, for example.
Omilusik recommended that anyone who falls within the above categories limit their time spent outside, and when out, avoid strenuous exercise that requires heavy breathing. Wearing a tight-fitting mask rated N95 or KN95 will help, but loose or cloth masks won’t.
If indoors, use air purifiers or make sure the air filter on your home’s ventilation system is clean and rated to remove fine particulates, Omilusik said. Look for ones with MERV ratings of 13 or better.
Symptoms to watch out for include coughing, wheezing, heaviness or tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing, Omilusik said. Persistent coughing, difficulty catching your breath or tightness in the chest could mean it’s time to talk with a healthcare provider — or head to the emergency room if it’s bad enough.
“It doesn’t mean you can’t do anything, right? It doesn’t mean that we have to lock ourselves up and don’t go outdoors anymore,” he said. “It means that we have to be cognizant of everything and be aware of your surroundings, be aware of your body.”
Alec Kownacki, a meteorologist with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, said northwesterly winds are picking up smoke from wildfires in Ontario and as far away as Manitoba and Saskatchewan. While those distant fires can pump smoke into the upper atmosphere, strong winds and closer fires aren’t letting all the smoke disperse.
Wind conditions are the main factor behind whether Michigan’s air quality will be impacted by distant wildfires, while drought conditions in Canada are behind the wildfires, Kownacki said. And climate change can lead to more droughts.
“So yeah, with a warming climate we could see more drought conditions and less rainfall in the (Canadian) prairie,” he said.
Conditions should improve on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.