Yep, and climate change is more than “a problem”: it, along with nuclear weapons, is going to destroy the basis for any kind of semi-decent organized society. Thing is, nukes have to be used—an act of commission. We have dodged that, often out of sheer luck, for 80 years. Our luck will run out sooner or later.
With carbon, we have to do something to stop it. An act of commission to stop it. It’s not going well.
Of course, if unchecked, climate chaos will lead to resource wars. Example: as the Himalayan glacier-river system tanks, do you think India and Pakistan will sit down and nobly divvy up the starvation proportionally? They have almost come to nuclear blows a couple of times over nationalist idiocy, mostly.
Studies of a full exchange have been done: the fires even of a small nuclear war—couple hundred bombs—throws up enough soot to kill photosynthesis, effectively—at least human agriculture—for 2-3 years. Billions starve—it’s a total catastrophe. The end of civilization.
That’s the future if we don’t act now. Physically guaranteed.
The joke is that this reality is so dire, everyone feels what you, Dear Reader, are feeling right now: “I don’t want to believe it.” Because the second you do—really believe it—you’re on the moral hook to do something about it, especially if you have kids.
This is why the right won on Covid and why it will win, period. They offer total escape from responsibility into a solipsistic fantasyland, complete with not just comforting delusions but also highly useful targets for organized sadism, enemies at home and abroad who will be blamed as things fall apart.
Cuz these yahoos are going to floor carbon. They will solve no problems, take no responsibility or blame.
Just like most of us, I fear.
But I plan to continue doing what you and most on here do: see dire reality, have the guts not to deny it, take the responsibility, and never shirk from laying it out even though Cassandras don’t get treated well.
Go down, if we are to, with your values intact. Not on your knees. It’s why I support this Substack. Keep playing the game properly even if there are few in the stadium, as it were.
Very well-said. "Solipsistic fantasyland" is an apt turn of phrase. Increasingly, like with Covid, I expect the message to be "we can live with climate change," along with continued attempts to deny it's impact, rather than support efforts to mitigate, slow, or even reverse it.
On average, a breathing human exhales approximately 1 kilogram of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a 24-hour period. This value can vary depending on factors such as body size, metabolism, activity level, and environmental conditions. It's important to note that the carbon dioxide exhaled by humans is a result of the body's natural respiration process and is not considered a significant contributor to overall greenhouse gas emissions or climate change.
=======
Ahmmm, yes, but there are 9 Billion of us....
To convert kilograms to tons, you divide the number of kilograms by 1,000.
9 billion kilograms is equal to 9,000,000,000 kilograms.
To convert this to tons, you divide 9,000,000,000 by 1,000:
9,000,000,000 kg ÷ 1,000 = 9,000,000 tons
Therefore, 9 billion kilograms is equivalent to 9 million tons.
Completely agree with the “three things” that got people to wear masks again. But I think you overlooked an important fourth one ( though it’s related to number 3) Temporary vs ( seemingly) permanent. Telling/asking/suggesting people do something for a very limited amount of time is WAY more palatable than a seemingly never ending situation ( or heaven forbid) constantly “moving the goal posts”. Novel vs familiar is a bit different. It suggests the shock of the new vs old hat. But temporary vs permanent plays on different parts of the human psyche.
Similarly…in a different situation….I think the message that was able to be given regarding Mpox ( make changes until you are vaccinated) was one of the reasons why you got a high degree of “buy in”.
A few days of masking til air quality improved ( there was lots of information out there that this would get better…and it has) is fundamentally different than an endless situation. But the immediate effects and visibility of the threat are still the most important.
I think you’re completely right. Great point. That’s why I posed the question about wild fire for 3.5 years. I would be super curious to see how that hypothetical situation played out
Terrific, informative piece about a subject that has become all too real here in Western Oregon these past few years, since 2015. The comparison with Covid-19, both physically and in terms of human behaviors is very apt.
The worst wildfire smoke here in the Portland metro area was September 2020, when, at one point, our AQI reached 400, something unfortunately NYC got to experience this week. Sickly yellow orange toxic “death cloud” I dubbed it. We were already staying at home because of the Covid pandemic, but this literally kept us in the house because we didn’t trust our cloth masks and didn’t yet have access to N95s. The Climate changed-caused conditions here in late summers (from Northern California up into British Columbia) that wildfires can blaze and send deadly smoke our way.
We have a stock of N95s and an air purifier, and lean heavily on the AirNow app to monitor our AQI.
I was frustrated in 2020 and 2022 because the media centers of the US didn’t really report just how horrifically bad the air here had become, very much like this week in the eastern U.S. Tragically, now, everyone faces the potential risk of this dangerous event. Thank you so much for this excellent piece.
Really hard to breathe in these clouds, I agree. We hit upper 400's here briefly Wednesday night. A few thoughts your comment triggered:
1) agreed - prepare for the next round. Canada will keep burning for a while I'm afraid. And more fires are guaranteed as stated in this post, with greater intensity
2) I really can't imagine smoking. That one drag I took in high school just to make sure it sucked was enough. Instead of creating "my own personal flurry" it would be like having "my own personal maroon hell cloud." Did you catch the Frozen reference? Yes I have a daughter.
3) I was talking with a friend tonight who took frequent trips to Shanghai as an academic. PM 2.5 is frequently 250-400. The Chinese supposedly invest heavily in air filtration in buildings, so at least in the sorts of environments a Western academic might find himself in the indoor air quality is better than one might think. I don't have evidence of this being true, just casual conversation.
Airnow is great, as is Accuweather app which bought out Plume labs as another air data point source. Windows open here tonight and loving the clean air.
We would greatly appreciate more information on what air purifiers to purchase. Also, what should we purchase to measure the air quality outside our home and inside our home? We are far from the smoke. I began walking today and noticed unusual, small breathing difficulties on my usual walk. I encountered a man with a mask on due to the Canadian fires. He said his home's outdoor air quality was not good yesterday. We want to start measuring both inside and outside air quality near our home. How to do this?
For outside, there’s Airnow.gov. You’ve already bought it via taxes! Provide a city name or zip code and it will give the air quality index (AQI) for PM2.5 for that location. It’s color-coded too, which I appreciate because I haven’t bothered to memorize the range for each level.
Airnow.gov for outside agreed, or Accuweather app for comparison.
Aranet CO2 monitor, or more extensive Airthings brand for CO2 + VOCs and other stuff, although I've read mixed reviews on Airthings accuracy.
Consumer Reports recommended Blue Air 411 filters for indoor back in 2015 or so when I first bought one. They are now like $100 on Amazon, much cheaper than newer models and other brands with more gadgets!
PocketLab. I’ve read <one micron is more damaging. Try the PocketLab.com. The air can store the data for later export in addition to “streaming”. The only reason I have air things is for the ion chamber (radon) and voc. I consider the PocketLab devices as semipro. Lately I have too much radon. Even 2nd floor. My impression is it’s the outside air from all the ag. Plowing. If one wants a spiffy ‘bile, it’s a weekly car wash visit. That’s why I have four Winixes constantly on. So pm 1 microg/m^3. (2.5 & 1) but. Ra. ~ 100 Bq/m^3. However, my new wave+ is ~30. So maybe I contaminated when I put it in a box w/thorium mineral. 1k Bq/m^3!!! Youse have read that x95 are electrified for much better collection of aerosol. Electrets. The electric version of a permanent magnet. Somewhat similar to a Cottrell precipitator.
I feel like when it comes to *public* health, where one of the four desiderata is equity, you get into some pretty thorny situations when you start encouraging people to go out and buy stuff. I got lucky and was able to get two air purifiers (one for each room) but not everyone is going to be able to do that. I never got an air purifier for covid-times because I live alone, so poison air really caught me off guard.
probably because they weigh different aspects differently, e.g. one thinks noise is more important. I ignore the noise rating as I can just turn down my hearing aids -- an upside to deafness!
BTW, I would be interested in a post on ventilation that includes suggestions for private homes/apartments and also includes what to do if ventilation efforts for Covid, like opening windows, should not be used (the smoke in NYC brought that conundrum vividly to life). We do have Coway air filters, and thanks to Ryan McCormick’s recommendation in comments here and on his Substack, I bought a CO2 monitor, too. It would be helpful to learn more about how to use these tools most effectively, particularly when we should not open windows to increase ventilation.
Portable air purifiers with HEPA filters are very effective at removing smoke particles, and by monitoring fine particles ("PM2.5") you can know how well the filters are doing...we have PurpleAir monitors both indoors and outdoors (www.purpleair.com). CO2 monitors are effective in showing exhaled breath, hence danger of viral transmission but not so effective showing wildfire smoke. (my notes at www.ocean.washington.edu/research/gfd/AIR )
Thank you so much for this useful information, Peter. For individual families, getting all applicable monitors can get expensive. That said, you can be sure I am flagging and saving both your links, and if we have an increase in number of incidents here, I would seriously consider the additional monitor. What’s toughest is not to have information by which to judge, and it was generous of you to reach out to fill that gap. (As an example of the conundrum for individuals, today, airnow is showing our PM 2.5 AQ as just over 50, so pretty good. I am assuming this should mean we can again open windows to assist with ventilation, but there is definitely much more to understand!)
Thank you for the really great article. The pictures were very helpful in making your points and your points were well made!
I am shocked that any news organization could make a statement that the smoke is not hazardous, and still have viewers. People have learned over the years that cigarette smoke is bad, standing where the wind blows the campfire smoke is unpleasant, firefighters wear masks, etc. It boggles my mind that someone could even try to spin something that way!
If one must outside, I suggest a visit to dive shop. (SCUBA). All incoming grad students would be trained on the use of emergency breathing app. (Keele, England)
Dr. Jetelina to the rescue, once again! One question: when you refer to N95s, are you including within that KN95s? I ask because I notice that it’s sometimes, but not always, true that folks are referring to both.
Just an observation related to this that I think speaks to how many people seem to be of the view that responding to an event like this is solely a matter of personal responsibility, and we should not need government for communication, help, or support. Mara Gay wrote an op-ed on what NYC's mayor should or might have done but did not do in response to the current wildfire smoke.
Take a look at the "reader's picks." Here's an example of one along the lines of what I'm describing: "Good grief. Are we really that helpless? I guess we should demand the mayor hand out sunscreen when the UV index rises this summer."
What this says to me is that a lot of folks need an education in public health and also need to raise their expectations of--and support for properly funding--public health. This is not to say that individuals don't need to take responsibility, too, but as Dr. Jetelina so beautifuly demonstrates here and in every post--and just by stepping up as she does--individuals need information and guidance to help them know what steps they should take.
I'd be interested in what others think about this.
Allied to the above observation: right now, the air quality for PM 2.5 in NYC is 96 and looks to move upward through the day. Another site, however, IDs the main pollutant as PM 10. I find no AQ alert for NYC in either my normal weather source nor at the National Weather Service. Some in my building are worried we still have a wildfire smoke condition. (My assumption is this is what passes for ordinary mediocre air quality in NYC in the summertime.) This is exactly why we need Dr. Jetelina-style public-facing communications, and why it is worrying that many commenting in the Times believe Mayor Adams and his health department have no responsibility here.
Just a side note to that: As I’ve noted, I have a CO2 monitor now. I understand its limitations as a proxy for wildfire smoke. That said, it is interesting to me that in the few days run-up to the height of the smoke condition, I could not, even using my usual ventilation measures and Coway air filtration, get a reading below 1000 much of the time. Almost immediately when the warning on the smoke ended, I easily got readings below 700. Today, with the air quality deteriorating, the monitor readings are creeping back up. Coincidental, associated, causal, I don’t have the expertise to know, but I would say associated.
Thanks for this great post! Relevant to the idea that people are less likely to act when effects are immediate, I am struck that potential long-term effects of COVID are often delayed by a significant time period (much longer than the few days it takes to have the initial symptoms). Long covid, vascular damage and organ damage may not appear for weeks or months, and, because of the delay, not even appear causally connected to having had covid. As you say, such a delay makes it difficult for people to feel motivated to act now.
Here in Brooklyn, New York, I measured (using a Temtop M10) an outdoor AQI of 500 (as high as the monitor can go) on the worst day. One the ground floor, with one to two HEPA filters per room, the rooms being only moderate in size, the AQI was yet over 100. (I have a Coway, a Winix, a Honeywell, and a Whirlpool on that floor) all on top speed.
To see if I could improve this, in one upstairs bedroom I moved in 4 HEPA filters (2 Whirlpool, 1 Coway, and 1 Winix), and after maybe a half hour they read AQI 150 (while outdoors it was AQI 500, or more). Today, the outdoor AQI being 58, indoors on the first floor I measure AQI at 12, and PM 2.5 at 3.
So, what's going on here? Yes it's an unscientific uncontrolled hodgepodge (windows closed but still outdoor air seeps in; outdoor AQI constantly changing). However, the Temtop was able to measure both 500 then, and 12 now for AQI, so clearly it's working. But 4 HEPAs in a small room not bettering AQI of 150 -- that's unexpected. And yes after many hours that improved, but that might have been because of a change in outdoor pollution.
Tests of HEPAs by reliable sources indicate usually a 99% reduction in an hour in a single room. But this is for 12 seconds from a fog machine (Vacuum Wars) or burning a small bunch of wood matches (The Wirecutter of NY Times). Perhaps in the real world of forest fire smoke, this performance can't quite hold up. My guess: In the real world, the smoke keeps coming.
Yes, I expect these to be poor cleaners. In my large office I have them scattered- 2 in the central area, 1 in each exam room and 1 giant corsi box in the large waiting room. The only room that stank of smoke on that “brown-orange” day was my small office where I did not have anything running until I went to my desk for lunch. I agree they do “something”. Unlikely as advertised as it’s not a closed system as you point out. I also have corsi boxes at home (we had 2 from when we had our first Covid precisely one year to the day ago) which we ran when we got home. They did help with the smell...
Apologies if this has already been posted, but a proven effective MacGyver’d air purifier for smoke is a 20” box fan + 20” MERV13 or higher furnace filter. I don’t bother with tape because suction from the fan keeps it on. YMMV. Depending on your box fan, you might have to make a hole in the filer to pass the cord through. I had to get creative in 2020 when the entire west coast was blanketed in smoke, because all local stores and online (Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, etc) were sold out. Ended up buying online from a home improvement store in the midwest that didn’t have smoke (thus everything was in stock). I now buy replacement filters outside of fire season. Instructions here: https://deohs.washington.edu/edge/blog/how-make-box-fan-filter-clean-indoor-air-smoke .
Agree with your MacGyver skills here! Was also thinking this would work to "open" a window, as our CO2 levels got up 1000 PPM while sealing the house up here. But we have casement windows so can't bring a frame down onto a filter.
Yeah, I'm not explaining this well. It would be like a screen that you bring the window down upon, except the screen would be a >MERV13 HVAC filter. The sides would be sealed with tape, and it would just allow passive flow of some air with new oxygen, and let the CO2 out. Just a Macgyver thought, I won't actually be doing this unless future prolonged window shutting event and CO2 starts heading even higher like >1200!
Windows that open up and down, which my house does not have! Side to side would work, but the ones that open outward really won’t work for this mostly dumb idea anyway
Oh, I get it now. I like it. I also have casement windows and wouldn’t for me but it should work for single or double hung windows. I’m not sure how much air you’d get into the house without a fan of some sort, maybe put the fan in front of the filter inside to help pull air through the filter? One last thought: someone handier than I could make a frame to fit the filter into, that frame fits the window, so you wouldn’t need tape or wouldn’t need as much. Tape can peel paint, or can just fail (heat, humidity). But I’d rather deal with peeled-paint than breathe smoke.
Thanks KJ for a fine summary of the impact of wildfire smoke, which has increased over time.
It's worth looking at smoke images from satellites and data from sensors at ground level to see the great intensity and rapid 'travel' of smoke plumes...the PurpleAir network lets you plot the time history of the smoke in your location, as well as seeing where it is coming from (www.purpleair.com). We have PurpleAir laser sensors for fine particles, indoors and outdoors, and they show that outdoor smoke can penetrate homes even with windows closed.
There is much that can be done to monitor and improve indoor air quality. For example some cities have responded to air pollution in schools, installing air sensors in all classrooms (for Boston visit https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/Page/8810 ).
The rising challenge of smoke to global health has been documented by the Gates-funded IHME (Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation) here in Seattle, and their Global Burden of Disease publications (https://www.healthdata.org/air-pollution). In many countries poor air quality ranks among the leading causes of illness and mortality.
Air filtering, ventilating, masking can greatly protect us...but outdoor workers are especially vulnerable, and difficult to protect.
Thank you! Again an excellent and useful column. I spent the week drawing graduating high school students. Caught between dreams for their future and harsh realities of their present, they seem aware of the contradictions.
Let's look at one ACTUAL relative diameter vs its GRAPHED relative diameter. (The same understatement holds for other size comparisons).
A coronavirus virion (any type, not just SARS-CoV-2) has a (sans-spikes) diameter of 0.1 (± 0.02) microns. A red blood cell has a (long) diameter of 8.1 (± 0.6) microns.
So, actually the diameter of a red blood cell is 81 times that of a coronavirus virion. But, in that graphic, the ratio is only 3.25 times. To see how the cell actually dwarfs the virion, blow up that cell another 25 X.
It would be nice to have a graphic like this but suggesting relative sizes more faithfully.
Yep, and climate change is more than “a problem”: it, along with nuclear weapons, is going to destroy the basis for any kind of semi-decent organized society. Thing is, nukes have to be used—an act of commission. We have dodged that, often out of sheer luck, for 80 years. Our luck will run out sooner or later.
With carbon, we have to do something to stop it. An act of commission to stop it. It’s not going well.
Of course, if unchecked, climate chaos will lead to resource wars. Example: as the Himalayan glacier-river system tanks, do you think India and Pakistan will sit down and nobly divvy up the starvation proportionally? They have almost come to nuclear blows a couple of times over nationalist idiocy, mostly.
Studies of a full exchange have been done: the fires even of a small nuclear war—couple hundred bombs—throws up enough soot to kill photosynthesis, effectively—at least human agriculture—for 2-3 years. Billions starve—it’s a total catastrophe. The end of civilization.
That’s the future if we don’t act now. Physically guaranteed.
The joke is that this reality is so dire, everyone feels what you, Dear Reader, are feeling right now: “I don’t want to believe it.” Because the second you do—really believe it—you’re on the moral hook to do something about it, especially if you have kids.
This is why the right won on Covid and why it will win, period. They offer total escape from responsibility into a solipsistic fantasyland, complete with not just comforting delusions but also highly useful targets for organized sadism, enemies at home and abroad who will be blamed as things fall apart.
Cuz these yahoos are going to floor carbon. They will solve no problems, take no responsibility or blame.
Just like most of us, I fear.
But I plan to continue doing what you and most on here do: see dire reality, have the guts not to deny it, take the responsibility, and never shirk from laying it out even though Cassandras don’t get treated well.
Go down, if we are to, with your values intact. Not on your knees. It’s why I support this Substack. Keep playing the game properly even if there are few in the stadium, as it were.
Very well-said. "Solipsistic fantasyland" is an apt turn of phrase. Increasingly, like with Covid, I expect the message to be "we can live with climate change," along with continued attempts to deny it's impact, rather than support efforts to mitigate, slow, or even reverse it.
A perfect rant. Adding this.
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chatGPT says -
On average, a breathing human exhales approximately 1 kilogram of carbon dioxide (CO2) in a 24-hour period. This value can vary depending on factors such as body size, metabolism, activity level, and environmental conditions. It's important to note that the carbon dioxide exhaled by humans is a result of the body's natural respiration process and is not considered a significant contributor to overall greenhouse gas emissions or climate change.
=======
Ahmmm, yes, but there are 9 Billion of us....
To convert kilograms to tons, you divide the number of kilograms by 1,000.
9 billion kilograms is equal to 9,000,000,000 kilograms.
To convert this to tons, you divide 9,000,000,000 by 1,000:
9,000,000,000 kg ÷ 1,000 = 9,000,000 tons
Therefore, 9 billion kilograms is equivalent to 9 million tons.
Every day.
Completely agree with the “three things” that got people to wear masks again. But I think you overlooked an important fourth one ( though it’s related to number 3) Temporary vs ( seemingly) permanent. Telling/asking/suggesting people do something for a very limited amount of time is WAY more palatable than a seemingly never ending situation ( or heaven forbid) constantly “moving the goal posts”. Novel vs familiar is a bit different. It suggests the shock of the new vs old hat. But temporary vs permanent plays on different parts of the human psyche.
Similarly…in a different situation….I think the message that was able to be given regarding Mpox ( make changes until you are vaccinated) was one of the reasons why you got a high degree of “buy in”.
A few days of masking til air quality improved ( there was lots of information out there that this would get better…and it has) is fundamentally different than an endless situation. But the immediate effects and visibility of the threat are still the most important.
I think you’re completely right. Great point. That’s why I posed the question about wild fire for 3.5 years. I would be super curious to see how that hypothetical situation played out
Also wildfire smoke is more of a deterministic threat than a stochastic one
Terrific, informative piece about a subject that has become all too real here in Western Oregon these past few years, since 2015. The comparison with Covid-19, both physically and in terms of human behaviors is very apt.
The worst wildfire smoke here in the Portland metro area was September 2020, when, at one point, our AQI reached 400, something unfortunately NYC got to experience this week. Sickly yellow orange toxic “death cloud” I dubbed it. We were already staying at home because of the Covid pandemic, but this literally kept us in the house because we didn’t trust our cloth masks and didn’t yet have access to N95s. The Climate changed-caused conditions here in late summers (from Northern California up into British Columbia) that wildfires can blaze and send deadly smoke our way.
We have a stock of N95s and an air purifier, and lean heavily on the AirNow app to monitor our AQI.
I was frustrated in 2020 and 2022 because the media centers of the US didn’t really report just how horrifically bad the air here had become, very much like this week in the eastern U.S. Tragically, now, everyone faces the potential risk of this dangerous event. Thank you so much for this excellent piece.
Really hard to breathe in these clouds, I agree. We hit upper 400's here briefly Wednesday night. A few thoughts your comment triggered:
1) agreed - prepare for the next round. Canada will keep burning for a while I'm afraid. And more fires are guaranteed as stated in this post, with greater intensity
2) I really can't imagine smoking. That one drag I took in high school just to make sure it sucked was enough. Instead of creating "my own personal flurry" it would be like having "my own personal maroon hell cloud." Did you catch the Frozen reference? Yes I have a daughter.
3) I was talking with a friend tonight who took frequent trips to Shanghai as an academic. PM 2.5 is frequently 250-400. The Chinese supposedly invest heavily in air filtration in buildings, so at least in the sorts of environments a Western academic might find himself in the indoor air quality is better than one might think. I don't have evidence of this being true, just casual conversation.
Airnow is great, as is Accuweather app which bought out Plume labs as another air data point source. Windows open here tonight and loving the clean air.
We would greatly appreciate more information on what air purifiers to purchase. Also, what should we purchase to measure the air quality outside our home and inside our home? We are far from the smoke. I began walking today and noticed unusual, small breathing difficulties on my usual walk. I encountered a man with a mask on due to the Canadian fires. He said his home's outdoor air quality was not good yesterday. We want to start measuring both inside and outside air quality near our home. How to do this?
For outside, there’s Airnow.gov. You’ve already bought it via taxes! Provide a city name or zip code and it will give the air quality index (AQI) for PM2.5 for that location. It’s color-coded too, which I appreciate because I haven’t bothered to memorize the range for each level.
Airnow.gov for outside agreed, or Accuweather app for comparison.
Aranet CO2 monitor, or more extensive Airthings brand for CO2 + VOCs and other stuff, although I've read mixed reviews on Airthings accuracy.
Consumer Reports recommended Blue Air 411 filters for indoor back in 2015 or so when I first bought one. They are now like $100 on Amazon, much cheaper than newer models and other brands with more gadgets!
PocketLab. I’ve read <one micron is more damaging. Try the PocketLab.com. The air can store the data for later export in addition to “streaming”. The only reason I have air things is for the ion chamber (radon) and voc. I consider the PocketLab devices as semipro. Lately I have too much radon. Even 2nd floor. My impression is it’s the outside air from all the ag. Plowing. If one wants a spiffy ‘bile, it’s a weekly car wash visit. That’s why I have four Winixes constantly on. So pm 1 microg/m^3. (2.5 & 1) but. Ra. ~ 100 Bq/m^3. However, my new wave+ is ~30. So maybe I contaminated when I put it in a box w/thorium mineral. 1k Bq/m^3!!! Youse have read that x95 are electrified for much better collection of aerosol. Electrets. The electric version of a permanent magnet. Somewhat similar to a Cottrell precipitator.
Maybe more latter.
I feel like when it comes to *public* health, where one of the four desiderata is equity, you get into some pretty thorny situations when you start encouraging people to go out and buy stuff. I got lucky and was able to get two air purifiers (one for each room) but not everyone is going to be able to do that. I never got an air purifier for covid-times because I live alone, so poison air really caught me off guard.
TheWirecutter.com has reviewed Air Purifiers for years now. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-purifier/
And consumerreports.org has its own reviews. Their conclusions well ... differ.
probably because they weigh different aspects differently, e.g. one thinks noise is more important. I ignore the noise rating as I can just turn down my hearing aids -- an upside to deafness!
BTW, I would be interested in a post on ventilation that includes suggestions for private homes/apartments and also includes what to do if ventilation efforts for Covid, like opening windows, should not be used (the smoke in NYC brought that conundrum vividly to life). We do have Coway air filters, and thanks to Ryan McCormick’s recommendation in comments here and on his Substack, I bought a CO2 monitor, too. It would be helpful to learn more about how to use these tools most effectively, particularly when we should not open windows to increase ventilation.
Portable air purifiers with HEPA filters are very effective at removing smoke particles, and by monitoring fine particles ("PM2.5") you can know how well the filters are doing...we have PurpleAir monitors both indoors and outdoors (www.purpleair.com). CO2 monitors are effective in showing exhaled breath, hence danger of viral transmission but not so effective showing wildfire smoke. (my notes at www.ocean.washington.edu/research/gfd/AIR )
Thank you so much for this useful information, Peter. For individual families, getting all applicable monitors can get expensive. That said, you can be sure I am flagging and saving both your links, and if we have an increase in number of incidents here, I would seriously consider the additional monitor. What’s toughest is not to have information by which to judge, and it was generous of you to reach out to fill that gap. (As an example of the conundrum for individuals, today, airnow is showing our PM 2.5 AQ as just over 50, so pretty good. I am assuming this should mean we can again open windows to assist with ventilation, but there is definitely much more to understand!)
I'm in NYC so particularly grateful for your thoughts. It's been a dramatic and frighteningly visceral education in climate change.
Thank you for the really great article. The pictures were very helpful in making your points and your points were well made!
I am shocked that any news organization could make a statement that the smoke is not hazardous, and still have viewers. People have learned over the years that cigarette smoke is bad, standing where the wind blows the campfire smoke is unpleasant, firefighters wear masks, etc. It boggles my mind that someone could even try to spin something that way!
If one must outside, I suggest a visit to dive shop. (SCUBA). All incoming grad students would be trained on the use of emergency breathing app. (Keele, England)
Dr. Jetelina to the rescue, once again! One question: when you refer to N95s, are you including within that KN95s? I ask because I notice that it’s sometimes, but not always, true that folks are referring to both.
Just an observation related to this that I think speaks to how many people seem to be of the view that responding to an event like this is solely a matter of personal responsibility, and we should not need government for communication, help, or support. Mara Gay wrote an op-ed on what NYC's mayor should or might have done but did not do in response to the current wildfire smoke.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/09/opinion/wildfire-smoke-new-york-mayor.html
Take a look at the "reader's picks." Here's an example of one along the lines of what I'm describing: "Good grief. Are we really that helpless? I guess we should demand the mayor hand out sunscreen when the UV index rises this summer."
What this says to me is that a lot of folks need an education in public health and also need to raise their expectations of--and support for properly funding--public health. This is not to say that individuals don't need to take responsibility, too, but as Dr. Jetelina so beautifuly demonstrates here and in every post--and just by stepping up as she does--individuals need information and guidance to help them know what steps they should take.
I'd be interested in what others think about this.
Allied to the above observation: right now, the air quality for PM 2.5 in NYC is 96 and looks to move upward through the day. Another site, however, IDs the main pollutant as PM 10. I find no AQ alert for NYC in either my normal weather source nor at the National Weather Service. Some in my building are worried we still have a wildfire smoke condition. (My assumption is this is what passes for ordinary mediocre air quality in NYC in the summertime.) This is exactly why we need Dr. Jetelina-style public-facing communications, and why it is worrying that many commenting in the Times believe Mayor Adams and his health department have no responsibility here.
Just a side note to that: As I’ve noted, I have a CO2 monitor now. I understand its limitations as a proxy for wildfire smoke. That said, it is interesting to me that in the few days run-up to the height of the smoke condition, I could not, even using my usual ventilation measures and Coway air filtration, get a reading below 1000 much of the time. Almost immediately when the warning on the smoke ended, I easily got readings below 700. Today, with the air quality deteriorating, the monitor readings are creeping back up. Coincidental, associated, causal, I don’t have the expertise to know, but I would say associated.
Thanks for this great post! Relevant to the idea that people are less likely to act when effects are immediate, I am struck that potential long-term effects of COVID are often delayed by a significant time period (much longer than the few days it takes to have the initial symptoms). Long covid, vascular damage and organ damage may not appear for weeks or months, and, because of the delay, not even appear causally connected to having had covid. As you say, such a delay makes it difficult for people to feel motivated to act now.
Here in Brooklyn, New York, I measured (using a Temtop M10) an outdoor AQI of 500 (as high as the monitor can go) on the worst day. One the ground floor, with one to two HEPA filters per room, the rooms being only moderate in size, the AQI was yet over 100. (I have a Coway, a Winix, a Honeywell, and a Whirlpool on that floor) all on top speed.
To see if I could improve this, in one upstairs bedroom I moved in 4 HEPA filters (2 Whirlpool, 1 Coway, and 1 Winix), and after maybe a half hour they read AQI 150 (while outdoors it was AQI 500, or more). Today, the outdoor AQI being 58, indoors on the first floor I measure AQI at 12, and PM 2.5 at 3.
So, what's going on here? Yes it's an unscientific uncontrolled hodgepodge (windows closed but still outdoor air seeps in; outdoor AQI constantly changing). However, the Temtop was able to measure both 500 then, and 12 now for AQI, so clearly it's working. But 4 HEPAs in a small room not bettering AQI of 150 -- that's unexpected. And yes after many hours that improved, but that might have been because of a change in outdoor pollution.
Tests of HEPAs by reliable sources indicate usually a 99% reduction in an hour in a single room. But this is for 12 seconds from a fog machine (Vacuum Wars) or burning a small bunch of wood matches (The Wirecutter of NY Times). Perhaps in the real world of forest fire smoke, this performance can't quite hold up. My guess: In the real world, the smoke keeps coming.
Yes, I expect these to be poor cleaners. In my large office I have them scattered- 2 in the central area, 1 in each exam room and 1 giant corsi box in the large waiting room. The only room that stank of smoke on that “brown-orange” day was my small office where I did not have anything running until I went to my desk for lunch. I agree they do “something”. Unlikely as advertised as it’s not a closed system as you point out. I also have corsi boxes at home (we had 2 from when we had our first Covid precisely one year to the day ago) which we ran when we got home. They did help with the smell...
Apologies if this has already been posted, but a proven effective MacGyver’d air purifier for smoke is a 20” box fan + 20” MERV13 or higher furnace filter. I don’t bother with tape because suction from the fan keeps it on. YMMV. Depending on your box fan, you might have to make a hole in the filer to pass the cord through. I had to get creative in 2020 when the entire west coast was blanketed in smoke, because all local stores and online (Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, etc) were sold out. Ended up buying online from a home improvement store in the midwest that didn’t have smoke (thus everything was in stock). I now buy replacement filters outside of fire season. Instructions here: https://deohs.washington.edu/edge/blog/how-make-box-fan-filter-clean-indoor-air-smoke .
Agree with your MacGyver skills here! Was also thinking this would work to "open" a window, as our CO2 levels got up 1000 PPM while sealing the house up here. But we have casement windows so can't bring a frame down onto a filter.
I think this is what you're talking about, right?
https://substack.com/@mccormickmd/note/c-17061805?utm_source=notes-share-action
Not sure if that link works to Notes...
If you open a window more smoke comes in, faster than can be filtered by that fan. CO2 is a different issue than PM2.5, that I can’t answer.
Yeah, I'm not explaining this well. It would be like a screen that you bring the window down upon, except the screen would be a >MERV13 HVAC filter. The sides would be sealed with tape, and it would just allow passive flow of some air with new oxygen, and let the CO2 out. Just a Macgyver thought, I won't actually be doing this unless future prolonged window shutting event and CO2 starts heading even higher like >1200!
Do you mean the windows that open side to side, or inwards?
Windows that open up and down, which my house does not have! Side to side would work, but the ones that open outward really won’t work for this mostly dumb idea anyway
Oh, I get it now. I like it. I also have casement windows and wouldn’t for me but it should work for single or double hung windows. I’m not sure how much air you’d get into the house without a fan of some sort, maybe put the fan in front of the filter inside to help pull air through the filter? One last thought: someone handier than I could make a frame to fit the filter into, that frame fits the window, so you wouldn’t need tape or wouldn’t need as much. Tape can peel paint, or can just fail (heat, humidity). But I’d rather deal with peeled-paint than breathe smoke.
Thanks KJ for a fine summary of the impact of wildfire smoke, which has increased over time.
It's worth looking at smoke images from satellites and data from sensors at ground level to see the great intensity and rapid 'travel' of smoke plumes...the PurpleAir network lets you plot the time history of the smoke in your location, as well as seeing where it is coming from (www.purpleair.com). We have PurpleAir laser sensors for fine particles, indoors and outdoors, and they show that outdoor smoke can penetrate homes even with windows closed.
NASA's WorldView satellite images show many aspects of the fires, and the movement of smoke by weather systems (https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/ ). See also www.windy.com .
There is much that can be done to monitor and improve indoor air quality. For example some cities have responded to air pollution in schools, installing air sensors in all classrooms (for Boston visit https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/Page/8810 ).
The rising challenge of smoke to global health has been documented by the Gates-funded IHME (Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation) here in Seattle, and their Global Burden of Disease publications (https://www.healthdata.org/air-pollution). In many countries poor air quality ranks among the leading causes of illness and mortality.
Air filtering, ventilating, masking can greatly protect us...but outdoor workers are especially vulnerable, and difficult to protect.
Thank you! Again an excellent and useful column. I spent the week drawing graduating high school students. Caught between dreams for their future and harsh realities of their present, they seem aware of the contradictions.
The graphic of relative particle sizes (from https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-relative-size-of-particles/) is engaging and informative, but beware, it is NOT AT ALL TO SCALE. It depicts "smaller" vs "larger" but grossly understates HOW MUCH larger.
Let's look at one ACTUAL relative diameter vs its GRAPHED relative diameter. (The same understatement holds for other size comparisons).
A coronavirus virion (any type, not just SARS-CoV-2) has a (sans-spikes) diameter of 0.1 (± 0.02) microns. A red blood cell has a (long) diameter of 8.1 (± 0.6) microns.
So, actually the diameter of a red blood cell is 81 times that of a coronavirus virion. But, in that graphic, the ratio is only 3.25 times. To see how the cell actually dwarfs the virion, blow up that cell another 25 X.
It would be nice to have a graphic like this but suggesting relative sizes more faithfully.
good point. I like the graphic anyway, but good point.
Let’s be smarter about the great “smokdemic”. Somebody hurry up and coin the new word! Oh yeah!