wildfire smoke worse for kids' health than prescribed burns - best air purifier 2015

(Reuters Health)-
According to a small study in Northern California, children exposed to wildfire smoke may be more affected by health than children exposed to prescription control burn smoke.
"The prescribed burns have been going on for thousands of years to keep the forest healthy, but the public opposes them due to smoke exposure," said lead study author Dr . "
Mary Prunicki of Stanford University School of Medicine.
"This concern prevents forest services from carrying out prescribed burns as much as possible to minimize wildfires," Prunicki said in a telephone interview . ".
Previous studies have linked wildfire smoke exposure to an increase in asthma attacks and hospital admissions.
The author noted in the journal Allergy that children are particularly affected by the development of the immune system.
According to the new analysis, Prunicki colleagues were exposed to fire smoke to children in the Fresno area to control similar amounts of burn coverage.
A year after a fire broke out near Yosemite National Park.
They noted that the researchers analyzed changes in immune system response markers in blood samples taken three months after a prescribed burn or wildfire, which was the time when these changes occurred.
They studied three groups of children aged between 7 and 8.
On 2015, a group of 36 children were exposed to smoke from controlled burns.
Another group of 32 children were exposed to wildfire smoke.
18 children from the San Francisco Bay area were not exposed to smoke from the fire.
Children in the wild fire
The immune system changed the most in the smoke exposed group.
For example, they have fewer h1 cells against viruses and bacteria than children exposed to prescribed fire smoke and children without smoke exposure.
Children exposed to wildfire smoke, even without a history of asthma, often report more breathing, and children with asthma tend to intensify their attacks.
The researchers also measured pollutants near two cities.
The levels of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, multi-ring aromatic hydrocarbons, elemental carbon and particulate matter were higher in the area near the wildfire compared to the area near the control burn.
"We also need to look at fires entering urban areas that not only burn vegetation but also human structures and release different pollutants," said Colleen Reid of the University of Colorado at Boulder, he was not involved in the study.
Experts recommend using air purifiers if families live in contaminated areas or near wildfires.
Reid says ventilation systems with efficient air filters and good air exchange are the best measures to protect.
In addition, those who can wear masks should reserve masks, although many masks and respirator are not made for children.
"Unfortunately, we still don't know how to mitigate the health impact of exposure to inhaled contaminants on pediatric populations," said Lisa Miller of the Davis Veterinary College at the University of California, who was also not involved in the study.
"As exposed people mature to adults, we don't know much about the health impact of fire smoke," she said in an email . ".
"Due to immature respiratory and immune systems, children are very vulnerable to any form of inhaled contaminants. ” SOURCE: bit.
Ly/2Wixzi2 allergic, online on April 19, 2019.