LA Wildfires Trigger Air Quality Warnings And Health Concerns

Los Angeles has faced severe air quality warnings this week as wildfires raged across the region, forcing school closures and raising health concerns, Alison Withers, Dawn Chmielewski, Andrew Hay, and Hannah Lang reported for Reuters.

Fine particulate matter levels in the Los Angeles area reached alarming peaks of 40 to 100 micrograms per cubic meter earlier in the week. I Photo: CAL_FIRE_Official Wikimedia Commons

Environmental health experts warned that the particulate matter from the fires posed serious risks to vulnerable groups, including those with preexisting lung and heart conditions, as well as children and the elderly.

Carlos Gould, an environmental health scientist at the University of California San Diego, reported that fine particulate matter levels in the Los Angeles area reached alarming peaks of 40 to 100 micrograms per cubic meter earlier in the week.

That number decreased to around 20 on later on. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

“The levels of wildfire smoke we’ve seen in LA these past few days imply between a 5-15% increase in daily mortality,” Gould stated.

Dr. Afif El-Hasan, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association, highlighted the dangers of chemical byproducts from burning man-made materials. “These substances can penetrate deeper into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of heart attacks and other health issues,” El-Hasan explained.