Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat’s free Atlanta newsletter here.Wildfires burning hundreds of miles away created a visible haze and poor air quality this week in Atlanta, with some emergency rooms and clinics reporting calls and visits for respiratory conditions exacerbated by the smoke. A statewide drought that started in mid-September has created ideal conditions for more than 75 wildfires that have burned more than 35,000 acres in the past week. Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency in 91 of Georgia’s 159 counties.The biggest fires are in Southeast Georgia – Brantley County, where homes have been evacuated, and Clinch County – sending smoke into the northern part of the state at times, as winds shifted. Up to 90% of wildfire smoke contains PM 2.5: particulate matter that is smaller than 2.5 micrometers. The particles are so small that they don’t fall to the ground, which means people can breathe them in, said Colleen Reid, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who studies wildfires. That particulate matter can lodge in the lungs’ small airways (the bronchioles) and even make their way to the bloodstream, said Emory University pulmonologist Dr. Colin Swenson. That can cause health problems, especially for certain at-risk groups. Atlanta and many other areas of the state have had moderately concerning or worse air quality since Tuesday, according to Airnow.gov, which reports on local air quality conditions. That has driven an uptick in emergency room and clinic visits within the Emory system in Atlanta, Dr. Colin Swenson told Healthbeat. Wildfires are uncommon in Georgia, where typically high humidity and rainfall protect forests from sparks and allows groundwater and soil to recharge. That didn’t happen this winter, with Atlanta, for example, only getting 54% of the rainfall it normally gets since the start of the year, according to the National Weather Service. Georgia public health board goes seventh straight month without meetingThe last time the state faced such drastically dry conditions was in December 2016, said Elliot Wickham, the community lead for drought at the National Water Center, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Drought conditions are forecast at least until the end of July, according to the National Weather Service. Dry vegetation can be ignited in many ways – by power lines, a dropped cigarette, lightning, or even a spark from a broken-down car on the side of the road, said Reid, who offered some advice for Georgians who are not used to dealing with wildfires: When the air clears, check your home air filters. They may have picked up more pollution than usual.Here are some other things to know to protect your health amid poor air quality. Who is most at risk of illness from air pollution? People with respiratory conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchiectasis, are especially at risk, Swenson and Reid said. People with cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease and heart failure can also be affected, Swenson said. Pregnant people are vulnerable as well, Reid said. Wildfire smoke can increase the risk of low birth weight or preterm birth. Children are more prone to asthmatic flare-ups because their airways are smaller than adults’. Schools and sports groups may cancel outdoor activities or move them inside. The unhoused, people who work outdoors, and those who lack air conditioning will also face more smoke exposure, Reid said. People who are in lower-risk groups might experience effects like chest tightening when exercising outdoors. What can people do to alleviate effects of poor air quality? Monitor air quality. Swenson and Reid recommend checking airnow.gov for information on the air quality index. The AQI is a good indicator of whether it’s safe to spend time outdoors. If it is yellow (moderate) or above, at-risk people should stay indoors. If it is red or above, then everyone should stay indoors, Reid said. Reid recommended checking frequently and getting as local perspective as possible. “The smoke plume [can] really change the air quality over short periods of time, depending on how the wind blows and and the intensity of the fire,” Reid said. Run the air conditioning system and use HEPA air filters, Swenson said. That can help clean indoor air. People who don’t have those should try to find indoor spaces to spend time, Reid said. Keep windows and doors closed.Wear a mask. Those who are at risk who must go outside should use an N95 mask, Swenson said. That can help protect against the inhalation of the very fine particulates. Exercise indoors. If you really want to exercise outdoors, early morning and after dusk are best, Swenson said. Check your air filters after the fires and change them if needed, Reid said. Make sure building managers at large buildings are doing the same. How long will health impacts last? There are short- and long-term impacts, Swenson said. The smoke can set off COPD or asthma exacerbations in near-term. Those can last days to weeks, he said. It can also increase the risk of heart attack or cardiac injury for people with underlying conditions. Over the long term, the smoke can set off “systemic inflammation that can linger for weeks or even up to a month,” Swenson said. Rebecca Grapevine is a reporter covering public health in Atlanta for Healthbeat. Contact Rebecca at rgrapevine@healthbeat.org.
