Report Finds Smoke From Canada's Wildfires as Dangerous as Secondhand Smoke

Report Finds Smoke From , Canada's Wildfires as Dangerous , as Secondhand Smoke.

'Newsweek' reports that smoke from the still ongoing Canadian wildfires may have been as damaging as prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke.

According to scientists at Rutgers University, smoke from the wildfires could be compared to secondhand smoke in bars before smoking was banned in most states.

.

Smoke from the fires has engulfed much of New York and other parts of the United States.

.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set safety limits for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to 15 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24-hour period.

At its peak, air quality in New York City had an average concentration of PM2.5 of 330 micrograms per cubic meter on June 7.

.

Inhaling smoke from any source can have negative health effects and comparing it to the number of cigarettes can be challenging due to the variations in composition and toxicity of different types of smoke.

, Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .

Other factors, such as the duration and intensity of exposure also play a significant role in determining the potential health impact, Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .

'Newsweek' reports that the team also found that the longer smoke lingers in the atmosphere, the greater the impact it has on human health.

.

We know that the longer the smoke is in the atmosphere—aging—there is a greater risk of chemical changes creating more free radicals that are highly reactive and have the potential to cause adverse health effects, Christopher Migliaccio, Research associate professor in toxicology at the University of Montana, via 'Newsweek' .

The team warns that the frequency and severity of fires, and the dangerous smoke they produce, is expected to increase in coming years.