Air quality warning issued for 11 Michigan counties as wildfire smoke returns

An air quality warning has been issued for 11 Michigan counties, including metro Detroit, as smoke from Canadian wildfires returns to the area this weekend.

The warning applies from Saturday, May 18th in the following counties:

Southeast Michigan

Livingston

Macomb

Monroe

Oakland

St Clair

Washtenaw

Wayne

West Michigan

Allegan

Muskegon

Kent

VanBuren

Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggered several air quality warnings in Michigan last summer and is expected to impact us again this year. The AirNow smoke map shows smoke covering the entire state.

The likelihood of further wildfires this summer seems high. According to the Canadian National Wildland Fire Situation Report, lightning strikes could spark fires that spread quickly in forests suffering from severe drought in northeastern British Columbia, northwestern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories.

An analysis by World Weather Attribution, an initiative that aims to quickly assess the role of climate change following extreme weather events, found that climate change more than doubled the likelihood of hot, dry weather contributing to fire season.

Play it safe despite the air quality warning

Follow these simple tips to stay safe during an air quality alert:

• Stay indoors if possible, especially if you have trouble breathing or other health problems, are elderly, or are a child.

• If you must go out, try to limit the time you spend outside to activities that are absolutely necessary.

• Minimize the use of items that increase pollution, such as cars, gas-powered lawn mowers and other vehicles.

• Do not burn trash or other items during an air quality alert.

• Take the bus, carpool, telecommute, bike, or walk. You reduce traffic congestion and air pollution and save money.

• If you want to grill, use an electric starter or charcoal chimney instead of lighter fluid. Vapors from the liquid contribute to ozone formation.

• Avoid thoroughfares or other situations where your vehicle is left idling for long periods of time. You save money on gas and reduce pollution.

Who is most at risk?

Some groups of people are particularly sensitive to ozone, especially when they move outdoors. This is because ozone levels are higher outdoors and physical activity leads to faster and deeper breathing, allowing more ozone into the body.

People with lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema may be particularly sensitive to ozone. At lower concentrations, more serious health effects generally occur. Ozone can worsen their illnesses and lead to increased medication use, doctor and emergency room visits, and hospitalizations.

Children, including teenagers, are at greater risk from ozone exposure because they play outdoors frequently in warmer weather and higher ozone levels, are at higher risk of asthma (which can be made worse by ozone exposure), and their lungs are still developing .

Older adults may be more affected by ozone pollution, possibly because they are more likely to already have lung disease.

Active people of all ages who exercise or work intensively outdoors are at increased risk.

Some healthy people are more sensitive to ozone. Having lower ozone levels than the average person can have health effects, even if they don’t have any of the risk factors listed above. There may be a genetic basis for this increased sensitivity.

Generally, as ground-level ozone concentrations increase, more people experience more serious health effects. When levels are very high, everyone should be concerned about ozone pollution.

What are the health effects?

Ozone affects the lungs and respiratory system in many ways. It can:

Irritating to the respiratory tract, causing cough, sore throat, respiratory tract irritation, chest tightness, or chest pain when taking deep breaths.

Reduce lung function, making it more difficult to breathe as deeply and forcefully as you normally would, especially when exercising. Breathing may feel uncomfortable and you may notice that you are breathing faster and shallower than normal.

The risk of exposure to unhealthy ground-level ozone is greatest in warmer months. Children who often play outside in warmer weather are at higher risk.

Inflame and damage the cells that line the lungs. Within a few days, the damaged cells are replaced and the old cells are shed – similar to how your skin peels after a sunburn. Studies suggest that if this type of inflammation occurs repeatedly, the lung tissue may become permanently scarred and lung function may be permanently impaired.

Make the lungs more susceptible to infection. Ozone weakens the lungs’ defenses by damaging the cells that carry particles and bacteria out of the respiratory tract and by reducing the number and effectiveness of white blood cells in the lungs.

make asthma worse. When ozone levels are unhealthy, more people with asthma have symptoms that require attention from a doctor or the use of medication. Ozone makes people more sensitive to allergens – the most common triggers of asthma attacks. In addition, asthmatics may be more affected by reduced lung function and airway inflammation. People with asthma should ask their doctor for an asthma action plan and follow it carefully if ozone levels are unhealthy.

Aggravate other chronic lung diseases such as emphysema and bronchitis. As concentrations of ground-level ozone increase, more and more people with lung disease are visiting doctors or emergency rooms and being hospitalized.

Causes permanent lung damage. Repeated short-term ozone damage to the developing lungs of children can lead to reduced lung function in adulthood. In adults, ozone exposure can accelerate the natural decline in lung function that occurs with age.

Sources: AQI, NWS, EPA, SEMCOG.