8/4/2023 0 Comments Clearview windows toronto![]() ![]() Trudy Kidd, a warning preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, said while this may seem "unusual" for a big city like Toronto, it is not "uncommon" for northern Ontario communities to deal with smoke every year during fire season. "Thankfully it's a rare event for us here in the GTA, but I really do think we're going to be seeing more of this… This is what all the models of climate change predicted across Canada." "We're experiencing values that are not what we typically see in the GTA very often," said Adams. But some say to expect more of this as climate change intensifies and prolongs the hot and dry conditions for wildfires to thrive. (Evan Mitsui/CBC) How common is this in Toronto?Ĭlimate and health experts agree that it is not common to see the smoky skies in Toronto. Whether you're higher up in a building or lower down, in whichever part of the city, the risk remains much the same, Adams said.įor those who have to spend time outside, Environment Canada says wearing a well-fitted respirator type mask like an N95 can help reduce exposure to fine particles in smoke. ![]() "Soot is being released with the burning of these forest fires and on those particles a lot of chemicals bind to them," said Matthew Adams, an assistant professor in the department of geography at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). In a densely populated city, experts say residents must take caution as the risk is spread out no matter where you are. While Toronto may be dubbed the "Big Smoke" and has many different pollutants that contribute to urban smog, such as from fossil fuels burned in car exhaust and factories, smoke levels from forest fires are worsening air quality in the region. "There's many studies that suggest that even healthy people, when they breathe in enough of these tiny particles, there's an impairment of those barrier functions so there's a higher risk of infections." What happens to air quality in a dense city? ![]() "Our respiratory tract has an important barrier function in keeping bacteria and viruses out," Gupta told CBC News Wednesday. Ford refuses calls to link wildfires to climate change.Forest fire smoke envelops Toronto, bringing poor air quality, pollution."We really should be concerned," Gupta said. Respirologist and associate professor at the University of Toronto's department of medicine Dr. The risk will drop overnight, however, the federal agency says smoke density is expected to increase Thursday with air quality expected to reach nine by the afternoon.Įxperts say high levels of exposure to the fine particulate matter emitted from wildfires - which can lead to eye, throat and nose irritation - can also increase the risk of lung and heart disease.Įnvironment Canada says those with lung disease, such as asthma, people with heart disease, older people, children, pregnant people and those who work outside are at higher risk of experiencing negative health impacts.ĭoctors have previously suggested fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) - a pollutant emitted from anything burning - can exacerbate asthma, lung and heart disease. On any given day, Toronto usually sits at around three out of 10 on the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), which measures air quality based on how it will impact health.Īs of Wednesday afternoon, Environment Canada said the air quality in Toronto reached a seven. That's caused concern from both experts and residents as experts say climate change is only intensifying forest fires.īut how do the fires specifically affect Canada's largest city and what should residents do to mitigate the health risks? When will this be over and how frequently is this forecast to happen? The smoke plumes drifting from large swaths of Quebec and northeastern Ontario have sent air quality plummeting to unhealthy levels with high pollution reported in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) since Monday. Smoky skies have blanketed Toronto for several days as air quality conditions continue to deteriorate and prompt advisories for residents to limit their time outdoors. ![]()
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