It was brought to my attention by Dr. Howook Chang that most media are talking about wildfires, what the color of the sunset looks like, and that people shouldn’t go outside. However, no one is talking about the fact that smoke can infiltrate houses quite easily. Wildfire smoke can join you during dinner or while you are sleeping.

Air quality matters more indoors where we spend most of our time. So here is a series of things to keep in mind in order to breathe healthy air.

Monitor Air Quality

First of all, measure the air quality indoors and outdoors. The reason we need to measure both environments is that we need to benchmark the conditions and take decisions based on the data we have collected. Pollutants can easily come inside the house during ambient pollution events, whether is a wildfire, traffic, or a dust storm (e.g. Sahara Dust). Windows, doors, HVAC systems, or simply not good insulation are some of the main entrances of pollution indoors.

In some cases, when we run a kitchen extractor we can create a negative pressure indoors which will force outdoor air to come inside from all cracks and openings in a house.

HVAC systems have very ineffective MERV filters that are unable to capture fine particles and gases. Be aware of the conditions of your filters too.

Forecast

There are many online free services that provide weather and air quality forecast as they can estimate from the direction and speed of the wind the conditions in your area for the upcoming hours. I use the Apple Weather app as it comes for free and I don’t have to install something extra.

Purify

Indoors, unless your HVAC-R system comes with a good HEPA H12 and above or MERV 16 and above filter, we need to have a standalone air purification system. Be aware that ionization tech doesn’t work.

The size of the air purifier is critical. Small devices are unable to keep up. Always aim for the biggest devices that you can afford, as they tend to run more efficiently and they are less noisy.

Activities

Be smart about the food you cook during pollution events. Avoid frying food, boil food always with the lid on top of the pan, and maybe it’s time to eat more green salads as they will boost your body’s abilities to fight the inflammation the tiny particles from the wildfire smoke will cause to your body.

Other indoor activities like cleaning can congest indoor air with VOCs, which are toxic chemicals. Clean surfaces with water and some mild detergent.

Physical activity will also congest indoor air with CO2 and particulate matter. CO2 indoors can cause temporal cognitive decline and headaches. Breathe easily and slowly. Avoid exercise outdoors and indoors. Most gyms are not prepared to deal with particulate pollutants, I know from experience.

Conclusion

During the air pollution event from the wildfire in Canada, my blog received x15 times the number of visits than during normal days, reaching 22,500 visitors in one day, which means that people were worried and were looking for solutions. Lastly, don’t forget the relationship between climate change and air quality. Thank you for your trust and support.