MISSOULA, Mont. – Professor Ethan Walker from the University of Montana is shedding light on how wildfire smoke affects vulnerable populations through his research at the UM School of Public and Community Health Sciences.
Walker explains that indoor air quality can be just as bad or even worse than outside air during wildfire smoke events.
“Most people would be pretty surprised to discover that in most households, in most buildings, the indoor air quality is just as bad, in a lot of cases, as it is outside,” said Walker. “Which is a concern because we often hear kind of this public health messaging that when there’s smoke outside you go inside and shut the windows and you should be good. But that’s not always the case.”
Walker advises that people can take steps to improve their indoor air quality.
“Test and address your home’s air quality yourself by getting an air quality sensor, using existing air conditioners, avoiding opening windows and doors, and acquiring an air purifier that has a HEPA filter,” Walker said.
He emphasizes the importance of these measures for everyone’s health, especially for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
“There’s decades of research that shows as outdoor air quality gets worse, we see more hospitalizations, more ER visits,” Walker stated. “If you have asthma, if you have COPD, heart disease – then it can lead to kind of exacerbation of those.”
Walker reminds locals that since people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, monitoring air quality is essential during wildfire season.
This wildfire season don’t just listen to your heart— listen to your air quality sensor too, to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
