By Leah Shephard/for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

On several days this summer, Ohioans awoke to their homes and neighborhoods shrouded in haze from the smoke of wildfires burning in Nova Scotia, Canada. Experts say it's unclear whether air quality issues will continue into the fall.

The wildfires, which started in May, have since sent much of the eastern United States indoors because of air quality advisories. Bad air quality could cause health problems for vulnerable groups if it persists, experts say.

Sam Rubens, administrator of the Akron Regional Air Quality Management District of Summit County Public Health, said it depends on air flow patterns.

"The smoke stuff, from the fires in Canada," he said. "If they go out, which they're not out right now, they're still burning away, it's all based on the wind. If the wind patterns set up, then the smoke is going to come."

Rubens compared the way the smoke flows to a campfire; the smoke follows the wind.

"The smoke is going somewhere," he said. "And it's going to be affecting someone."

"Air quality in general can affect everybody, even people who have healthy lungs," said Dr. Angela Marko, a pediatric pulmonologist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital. "But the main concern is for those who have underlying respiratory conditions. So, for instance, things like asthma or other chronic lung diseases."

Marko said the reason for this is that many people with these conditions already have sensitive airways and lungs, and exposure to bad air quality can trigger their disease processes. She said this can manifest in shortness of breath and asthma flare-ups.

Marko said that while the very young and very old are most affected by bad air quality, everyone is at risk from continuous exposure.

"Over time, we know that air pollution in general. . . is not great for respiratory health in general as we age, if we're continually exposed to it," she said. "And so it can put you at risk into adulthood just for having other respiratory conditions."

Marko said this can manifest in COPD, a chronic lung disease that causes obstructed airways in the lungs, and other lung conditions as an individual ages.

While Northeast Ohio has only had six unhealthy or hazardous air quality days in 20 years, Rubens said three of those have been this summer.

He said that "particulate matter," or the particles in the air that make air quality unhealthy or hazardous, is the main concern of the Summit County health department.

"The reason that we have particulate matter, or ozone, as a pollutant of concern is because there's a level at which you're okay," Rubens said. "That if you breathe in a certain level, it's not going to have a health effect."

He said, though, that those with respiratory problems, chronic ailments and children are at higher risk when breathing in pollutants. That means the threshold is lower for the amount of dangerous air these individuals can breathe in.

Rubens urged Ohioans to stay aware of bad air-quality days as the wildfires still rage.

"Just be aware of what the air quality index is showing," he said.

Woody Woodward, executive director of the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, said the impact has been "minimal" on the Ohio Parks and Recreation. He said that what concerns him most is the effect wildfires and other natural disasters may have on the environment as a whole.

"It's fairly well known that Parks and Recreation has been on the front line in terms of protecting our environment, creating clean, safe spaces for people to recreate but also really working hard to protect our natural resources," Woodward said.

He said prevention is key.

"First and foremost we want to be on the front lines in terms of preventing things from getting worse and also kind of continuing to educate the public about the dangers of climate change and kind of the path that we've headed down," Woodward said. "But also working hard to protect natural resources as we do that."


This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.


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If they have not already, North Dakotans are urged to become familiar with an online tool detailing air quality in their area, as environmental officials said smoky air from expanding wildfire seasons requires more awareness.

Forecasters recently warned north-central states including North Dakota would see stretches of smoke-filled air or hazy skies due to wildfires burning in Canada.

Ryan Mills, ambient air monitoring manager for the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, said until recently, the state would not see winds pushing smoke here until deeper in June or early July but things have changed.

"The last few years, we've been seeing this kind of tick-up right away in May," Mills observed. "It's kind of like we've had to expand our fire season, if you will."

His office does not track the root causes of longer and more destructive wildfire seasons but researchers said climate change is a factor. When conditions surface, the website and mobile app AirNow.gov provides up-to-date information on local air quality. Residents, especially those with respiratory issues, are urged to limit outdoor activities.

Mills advised when there's an air quality alert and you can start to smell the smoke, it is time to block spaces where the air can seep into your house.

"Closing your windows, things of that nature," Mills recommended. "Obviously, don't be going in and out."

Other tips include adjusting the settings on air conditioners or vehicle vents to recirculate indoor air. Online maps and other tools are often color coded to further illustrate how safe it is to be outside for long periods. When colors such as orange, red and purple come into play, it means the air quality has worsened.


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A bill to legalize cigar smoking in designated Montana barrooms has failed a third reading in the state House. Similar legislation is introduced most years, although polls show it is unpopular among Montanans.

The 2005 Montana Clean Indoor Air Act outlawed smoking in indoor public spaces and workplaces to reduce secondhand smoke and its negative health effects. Before the law passed, Helena happened to be a laboratory for those effects when a city ordinance outlawed public smoking for six months in 2002.

Richard Sargent is a retired family physician in Helena, who also volunteers with the American Heart Association. He said changes to air pollution rapidly affect health.

"We had all kinds of physiology studies showing the things that lead to heart attacks happen fairly rapidly with exposure to secondhand smoke," Sargent pointed out. "Thirty minutes is enough."

Sargent was the lead author of a study which found the rate of heart attacks in Helena decreased about 40%, from 40% to 24%, the year the ordinance went into effect.

Sargent noted the bill started with distinct buildings allowing cigar smoking outside of taverns and then changed to separate rooms in a shared building. He stressed there is no way to isolate airflow in such a setup.

"The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers has stated repeatedly that there's no ventilation system that'll handle secondhand smoke," Sargent added. "It just can't be done."

Among those surveyed, 77% of Montana voters oppose legalizing cigar smoking in bars and 89% support the Clean Indoor Air Act, according to an American Cancer Society poll.


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As Cleveland tightens its air quality standards for the first time since 1977, health officials are urging residents to take simple steps at home to reduce their exposure to harmful pollutants.

The Environmental Protection Agency reported Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors, where air pollution levels can be two to five times higher than outdoor air.

Richard Stewart, public information officer of the Department of Public Health for the City of Cleveland, said the city's push is part of its efforts to engage local residents with new monitoring tools and resources through its "CLEANinCLE" initiative.

"A lot of folks don't realize small changes inside the home can really improve your quality of life," Stewart pointed out. "For example, taking your shoes off before you come in the house, checking for lead paint dust, cracking windows. Just regular cleaning can make a big difference in improved air quality in your house."

CLEANinCLE is a community air monitoring project, including sensors in multiple neighborhoods. The health department hosts two public meetings this week, one Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Frederick Douglass Recreation Center and another on Thursday at the Community of Faith Assembly. Both events include free in-home air assessments and raffles for air purifiers and electric stoves.

While many cities face water-related lead risks, Stewart noted one of Cleveland's biggest concerns is still old paint. Officials are asking residents to look out for cracking or peeling paint surfaces, especially in older housing and report issues which could expose children to lead.

"There's no amount of lead that's acceptable in a child's bloodstream," Stewart emphasized. "If you see that 'alligator paint,' where it's cracking and kind of fizzling on the house, contact your landlord. And if you're not getting any results, contact us."

The city also has a Lead Hazard Control Grant Program to help eligible property owners remove lead paint.