How to cope when there's smoke

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A combination of common sense steps and products that both detect and clean the air can offer help

When it comes to air quality, it’s not uncommon to hear weather reports about faraway cities where the air isn’t safe to breathe.

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Air spiked with such a heavy concentration of smoke particles can contribute to a range of respiratory illnesses, and children, older adults and those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma are particular vulnerable.

And as surreal as it sounds, this summer as a result of wildfires in Northern Ontario, Toronto has joined that unenviable list of cities.

According to Swiss company IQAir at one point in early August, Toronto had the fourth worst air in the world, with PM 2.5 concentrations 6.8 times more than what the World Health Organization deems to be safe.

It would be easy to write off the poor air quality episodes as an anomaly if not for the fact that this is no longer some sort of freak occurrence. Just a couple of summers ago, much of North America was affected by thousands of wildfires raging across western Canada and other parts of the country.

The sad reality is that Canada now averages an astonishing 8,000 wildfires a year due to a combination of lightning, human carelessness and yes, global warming that contributes to a deadly combination of high temperatures and dry conditions.

Despite this dark picture, there are actions we can take to minimize our risk of exposure.

First Onsite Property Restoration, a company that specializes in property restoration and reconstruction when disasters ranging from onsite fires to flooding hit, recommends that when there’s smoke you keep your windows and doors closed as much as possible.

And with heavier concentrations of smoke, consider sealing your windows with tape. Other Onsite recommendations include changing your furnace filter more frequently and using an air purifier to help remove particulate matter from the air.

When it comes to air filters for your HVAC system, opt for a higher MERV rating — with a MERV 13 being the “sweet spot” between removing tiny PM 2.5 particulate matter without causing undue strain on your furnace motor.

As for air filtration products, and because living with smoky air from time to time has become our new normal, it’s only a matter of time before next gen HVAC systems are designed to do a much better job of removing smoke from the air.

But until that happens, the next best solution is to make strategic use of home air filtration units as well as air quality monitors. In our home, we have a Dyson air purifier we keep in our bedroom which fits in well because it takes up less space.

We also have an IQ Air HealthPro Compact unit in our great room that can be controlled with an app, and consistent with what I’d like to see with future HVAC systems, has a sensor-based system so that the filter kicks in whenever air quality is compromised.

We also have an older generation IQ Air purifier in my office. Why go to such lengths you might ask when you only need to worry about poor air quality from time to time?

For starters, the frequency of poor air quality conditions as a result of wildfires is increasing. Secondly, for us, we are downwind of a neighbour who uses a wood-burning stove to heat his garage no less, that’s belching out smoke all day long.

A third reason is that every time you cook something — especially true with gas stoves and toasters — our indoor air quality deteriorates quickly. We know that from experience because we have both indoor and outdoor air quality monitors, also from IQAir, that tells us precisely how much particulate matter is in the air and what the overall air quality is, ranging from good to polluted.

I’d argue home health indicators are becoming just as important as your thermostat reading, and further predict an air quality readings will also become a standard feature in future HVAC systems.

Perhaps the only good thing about the ongoing air quality issues is that companies such as IQAir and Dyson continue to produce innovative products. IQ Air even makes a portable HEPA filter for your car to counter polluted air from surrounding cars or industrial emissions.

And another go to product I’ve been using for years is the Atmotube Pro, a portable air quality monitor that comes in handy for everything from measuring air quality in different parts of your home to taking with you on your travels.

Through a combination of common sense steps and turning to products that both detect and clean the air, then when there’s smoke, thankfully there are ways you can cope.

Mark Wessel lives in Ridgeway, Ont. and is a passionate advocate for living more sustainably at home and in the greater community. Visit www.markdouglaswessel.com.