Wood Smoke is Unhealthy—Even for Healthy People
Despite the many reports documenting its toxic effects, many people still express skepticism that exposure to wood smoke is harmful to healthy adults. They seem to think that it only affects people who already have lung or heart problems.
An interesting new study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine reveals that smoke from burning wood affects even healthy adults. The 10 study subjects did not report overt symptoms, such as wheezing, after exposure to the smoke, but lung and blood tests showed increased numbers of immune cells, which are indicators of inflammation. The authors conclude that wood smoke exposure leads to both pulmonary (lung) and systemic (whole body) inflammation.
In general, inflammation is a response to physiological damage and serves as an indicator that the body is responding to damage. In this case, damage is most likely induced by wood smoke particles and the associated toxins. Notably, inflammation is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung condition that is characterized by shortness of breath. In addition, systemic inflammation is linked to both heart disease and stroke.
In short, this study clearly shows that wood smoke is not only harmful to populations we know are vulnerable, like infants, the elderly, and people with lung and heart disease. The bottom line is that wood smoke is harmful to everyone.
EPA Expected to Lower the Fine Particle Standards to Protect Our Health
Changes are in the wind at the U.S. EPA, which is currently considering revisions to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5).
Wood smoke is a major contributor to fine particle pollution, which is hazardous to health in many ways. The EPA is expected to issue the final rule for PM 2.5 NAAQS later this year and is expected to make the standards more stringent to protect the public’s health. A lower PM 2.5 standard has long been advocated by leading scientists, physicians, and health professionals.
Supporting information from the EPA regarding this rule includes an “Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter” report and the document “Policy
Assessment for the Review of the Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards.”
The policy assessment discusses revising the current annual PM 2.5 standard level of 15 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to a level of 11 to 13 µg/m3. It also discusses whether the current 24-hour standard of 35 µg/m3 should remain or be revised to 30 μg/m3.
The EPA’s decision on the 24-hour standard for PM 2.5 is important because, in conjunction with the new NAAQS, EPA is also considering a rule that would revise Air Quality Index (AQI) values.
The current PM 2.5 AQI value of 100 is set at 40.5 µg/m3, and anything above 100 is considered unhealthy for sensitive people such as the elderly and those with asthma or cardiovascular conditions. The proposed rule would change the AQI value (when air quality is considered “unhealthy”) to 35 µg/m3, which is the current 24-hour standard for PM 2.5. This change would increase the number of days on which air quality is considered unhealthy.
We think a lowering of the PM 2.5 standard is long overdue and would reflect the recommendations of health professionals and protect the public’s health from the effects of fine particle pollution.
Summer’s Almost Here: Enjoy the Beach and the Fresh Ocean Air
Even in chilly Northern California, summer means trips to the beach. And for many people, a cool evening at the beach means a bonfire. A recent New York Times article, “36 hours in San Francisco” listed “Beach Bonfire” as one of the ‘things to do’ when you visit. We at Families for Clean Air suggest that this year you enjoy the beach—and the fresh beach air—without wood smoke pollution.
Bonfires are a mixed pleasure. Capricious gusts mean that everyone, no matter what their position, is ‘downwind’ part of the time. So along with the sparkling flames, you get the occasional (or even frequent) lungful of smoke. This is not only unpleasant, but also hazardous to your health.
Would the beach experience be as enjoyable without the bonfire? We at FCA think so. Here are some things we like to have with us at the beach:
- Blankets. The beach is cold at night!
- A guitar. Whether you play, sing, or listen, music on the beach is magical.
- Binoculars. Telescopes can be complicated, but anyone can use a decent pair of binoculars to bring the night sky closer. Plus, binoculars are easy to carry. You may be surprised at the details you can see on the moon with the binoculars currently gathering dust in the hall closet.
- The Star Walk app. For you techies who admire the skies but don’t know your stars and planets, this iPhone app helps you identify what you are looking at.
- A lantern. Lanterns, either battery- or gas-powered, provide a focal point and a bit of light if you’re not stargazing. Plus, no (or little) smoke.
So wrap up and enjoy the sound of the pounding waves. Take a deep breath and savor the scent of the ocean. Look up and enjoy the night sky. Happy (almost) summer from Families for Clean Air.
Racing for Clean Air
On Saturday, May 7th, FCA will join other non-profit groups and schools as part of the Marin Human Race. We invite you to be a part of the action. This 5k run and community fair is a fun way to help raise funds for your favorite causes and to learn more about their programs and activities.
Sign up to be on FCA’s team or come out on race day to cheer us on. Be sure to stop by the FCA booth and register to win a free solar oven. If you can’t make it to the race, you can still donate to FCA on our own Marin Human Race fundraising page. To reach our page, go to www.marinhumanrace.org, click on Participating Organizations on the left panel, and then click on ‘Families for Clean Air’.
Speaking of other non-profits, Families for Clean Air (FCA) recently attended an Earth Day breakfast in honor of environmental organizations that was hosted by California State Assembly member Jared Huffman, who represents the 6th Assembly District. FCA was proud to be among the groups recognized for making air and water cleaner, food production more sustainable, and fish and wildlife populations more viable.
We applaud Marilee Eckert, CEO of the North Bay Conservation Corps, for receiving the Environmental Hero award for her excellent work teaching youth, conserving natural resources, and building a stronger, more sustainable community.
A Report from the BAAQMD Board Meeting
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Board of Directors concluded that the region-wide approach to addressing wood smoke pollution is not solving the problem in neighborhoods most impacted by wood smoke, despite region-wide improvement in air quality this winter. At their April 6, 2011 meeting, the board agreed that changes are needed to reduce wood smoke pollution further. At Families for Clean Air (FCA), our hope is that this will translate into new outreach programs in impacted neighborhoods and more action from the BAAQMD enforcement division.
FCA presented a list of recommendations to the board, including hiring more inspectors to patrol neighborhoods on evenings and weekends when most wood burning occurs, vigorously enforcing the “opacity” rule, and installing air monitors in wood smoke-impacted neighborhoods. Although BAAQMD monitors showed only one air-quality exceedance day region-wide during the winter season, we previously presented data showing that the air quality in one neighborhood exceeded National Ambient Air Quality standards for particulate matter several times throughout the winter. There was no response to this pilot air quality monitoring study, and a deafening silence on the issue of more air quality monitoring in wood smoke-affected areas.
FCA also hoped to hear responses from the Enforcement Division regarding evidence we presented to the Board on March 16th. This evidence suggested that several permanent exemptions, which allow households to burn on Spare The Air days, had been granted under false pretenses. Despite pointed questioning from Board members, Enforcement offered no explanation other than that the Enforcement program was “only three years old” and still evolving.
At the March 16th, meeting a number of Board members, appeared frustrated at the meager number of wood burning citations issued (2), compared to the number of complaints sent in (1,373), given that the number of people who go to the trouble to report a violation represent only a small percentage of people affected by wood smoke. Last week, while some Board members pushed the Enforcement Division to be more aggressive about going after violators, the discussion mostly focused on finding other ways to address the problem. Some of the ideas we liked: Outreach staff meeting with PTA groups to discuss the negative health effects of wood smoke, especially on children, and reporting smoke complaint information to local governments to work cooperatively to enforce wood burning regulations.
