Toronto chokes on world's worst air as northern wildfires rage
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — The Big Smoke is certainly living up to its historical nickname.
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That’s according to Swiss-based air quality monitoring platform IQAir, which on Wednesday morning ranked Toronto, currently engulfed in a hazy pall of wildfire smoke, as the city with the world’s worst air quality .
That puts Toronto ahead of some of the world’s most polluted cities, including Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lahore, Pakistan and Delhi, India — and relief doesn’t seem to be immediately in the cards.
IQAir ranked Toronto with an air quality index (AQI) of 192 on Wednesday morning, putting it well into the “unhealthy” category and only a few index points away from being ranked as “very unhealthy.”
Toronto’s spicy air is being caused by smoke drifting south from wildfires in northwestern Ontario, and will persist until this weekend.
Kinshasa, which consistently ranks in the top five of the world’s most polluted cities, came second with an AQI of 163.
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates ranked third with an AQI of 152; Delhi, India, came in fourth with 139, and the Israeli capital of Jerusalem rounded out the top five with 135.
Relief expected this weekend
Environment Canada meteorologist Kate Leclerc told the Sun that strong northwesterly wind flows are carrying the smoke aloft from distant wildfires, directly towards the Toronto area — exacerbated by the same high-pressure weather system that’s keeping Toronto roasting in the current heat wave.
“Because the fires are still ongoing, and the wind won’t change until at least Friday, we’re continuously being affected by that smoke straight from northwestern Ontario,” she said.
A weak system moving into the Toronto area on Friday will shift the winds away from the city, she said — and will also break the heatwave.
“Most of the heat warnings may be lifted tonight or tomorrow morning, although some areas like Toronto may persist until Friday because near the lakes, we’re seeing warmer temperatures,” she said.
“Warnings may be lifted, but it’s still going to be relatively warm until Friday and into the weekend.”
Microscopic mix of particulates, droplets
University of Toronto Professor Greg Evans told the Toronto Sun that particulate matter is the biggest concern with wildfire smoke.
“It’s travelled a great distance, so it’s undergone some chemical transformation as it’s travelled to us from where the fires are to the city,” he said.
“The main concern is that this can go deep down in their lungs, and it’s associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes.”
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Ottawa, said these particulates are composed of a mixture of microscopic solid particles and liquid droplets small enough to travel deep into the lungs.
“Some can potentially enter the circulation, while the lung’s response to them can generate inflammation that affects not only breathing but also the cardiovascular system,” he said.
Exposure to wildfire smoke, he said, doesn’t guarantee everyone in Toronto with lungs will fall ill, nor does it mean it won’t cause health effects later in life.
“Risk depends on the dose, the duration of exposure and the person breathing it,” Freedhoff explained.
“Most people will not develop lasting problems after a brief exposure, but repeated smoke exposure, or exposure in someone whose lungs, heart or immune system are already under strain, may carry greater and less predictable consequences.”
The easiest way to reduce risk, he said, is to limit time and exercise spent outdoors, wear a properly fitted N95 mask when lengthy exposure to smoke is unavoidable, and ensure your home’s HVAC system is equipped with a high-efficiency filter.