Air quality statement issued for parts of northern Ont.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued an air quality statement for Greater Sudbury and area, Elliot Lake and Ranger Lake due to smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Quebec.

Smoke filled the air in the Greater Sudbury community of Azilda Saturday. (Amanda Hicks/CTV News Northern Ontario/Photo from video)“High levels of air pollution have developed due to smoke from forest fires,” said the ECCC in their updated statement Sunday morning.

“Smoke plumes from forest fires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario will continue to affect the area, resulting in deteriorated air quality.”

Visibility and air quality due to smoke plumes can change dramatically in only a short time or when travelling a short distance – officials recommend caution.

As a result of the statement, Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) is reminding area residents of the potential health effects of wildfire smoke and how to stay protected.

“Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and plant materials,” said PHSD in a news release.

“The smoke releases many contaminants into the air, such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds.”

Even low levels of wildfire smoke can impact your health, said the public health authority.

“Milder symptoms of smoke exposure include mild cough, headache, and eye, nose, and throat irritation. These symptoms can typically be managed without medical intervention,” said PHSD.

“More serious symptoms include dizziness, chest pains, irregular heartbeat, severe cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and asthma attacks.”

How can you protect yourself from forest fire smoke?

PDSD offered the following tips to protect one’s self from wildfire smoke:

• Stay inside with windows and doors shut.
• Use the recycle or recirculate mode on the air conditioner in your home or car.
• Avoid cooking and vacuuming, as they can increase pollutants indoors.
• Avoid physical exertion. Stop, reduce, or reschedule strenuous activities.
• People who have asthma should follow their asthma management plan.
• Keep airways moist by drinking lots of water. Breathe through a warm, wet washcloth to help relieve dryness.
• Keep at least a 5-day supply of medication on hand.
• Contact your doctor if you have chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, or severe fatigue. This is important for people with chronic lung or heart disease and for people who have not been previously diagnosed with such diseases. Smoke can “unmask” or produce symptoms of illness.
• As a risk reduction measure, if you need to go outside, a well-fitted respirator-type mask, such as an N95, can help reduce your health risk. However, masks may not fully protect you from poor air quality.

According to public health, most healthy adults and children will recover quickly from smoke exposure and will not suffer long-term consequences. However, they advise that older adults, pregnant people, infants and young children, people who smoke, people who work outdoors, people involved in strenuous outdoor exercise and people with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions may experience more severe short-term, as well as long-term chronic symptoms from exposure to smoke.

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You can monitor Sudbury’s current Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks’ recommendations here. The AQHI is presented on a scale of 1 to 10+ to communicate health risks. A scale of 1 to 3 means low health risk, 4 to 6 is moderate risk, 7 to 10 is high health risk and above 10 is considered a very high health risk.

As of 5 p.m. Sunday the AQHI for Sudbury was 24.

The Ministry of Transportation has also closed some roadways near Elliot Lake due to smoke and wildfires as of just before 6 p.m. Sunday.

"Highway 810 closed from 25 kilometers north to Ritchie Falls due to a forest fire," read the 511 Ontario map.

For more information, contact PHSD at 1-866-522-9200 or online at www.phsd.ca, or visit the ECCC website at www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-quality-health-index/wildfire-smoke.html.