Lung health research
The hidden cost of forest fires
An Interview with Dr. Michael Brauer by Larry Pellizzari
What do people need to know?
There’s sometimes a perception that fire smoke is natural and not dangerous, but it is, especially for young children and people with pre-existing lung conditions. Studies are showing more people going into emergency rooms and more hospital admissions during and after fire events.
What are you researching now?
Every summer in BC, several communities are blanketed by smoke from forest fires. As our communities grow and develop on the edges of forested areas, there is an increased likelihood that forest fires will affect residents. We’re developing an approach to map out smoke levels during fires and a way to predict where smoke will travel in the future.
What are you trying to achieve?
Whenever there’s a fire, you always hear about how property has been affected. We almost never hear about the health effects of people inhaling smoke, often at levels that exceed World Health Organization and Canadian standards of air quality. I want to make sure people who are at risk from smoke exposure know they are, and know what they can do to lessen the risks. I also hope we can predict where smoke will travel and supply an early warning system to communities in the smoke’s path.
What can people do to help themselves?
We’ve put together a website ( www.firesmoke.ubc.ca) where visitors can find real-time information on where smoke is, on air quality, and on the fire danger throughout BC. The site also includes recommendations on what people should do if there is smoke in their communities.
Why don’t we hear more about the human impact of forest fires?
We can’t predict when a fire’s going to happen and be immediately ready to conduct a study of its effects on health. We can, however, go in after the fact and look back. We can study fire fighters and measure changes in their lung function etc. If these super healthy, super fit fire fighters are being affected, what about people who aren’t in such great shape?
Is there a relationship between Climate Change and Forest Fires?
I believe so. As the climate changes and becomes drier, it’s very likely that we’re going to see more frequent and larger fires, not just in BC but throughout the world. That raises the importance of this issue. As evidence of climate change mounts, hopefully information will catalyze society to take it more seriously.
How do you measure your success?
I feel good at the end of the day if I’ve been talking to a private citizen and provided a service or information that can actually help them improve their lives or their health. Some of the work I’ve done has made its way into public policy, and that’s also very gratifying. I’ve also had the fortune of working with some fantastic students and seeing them grow and do great things. In particular, the contributions of Sarah Henderson who is doing the smoke modeling and linking with health impacts for BC’s 2003 fire season, and Prabjit Barn who tested the effectiveness of room air cleaners in reducing indoor smoke levels have been invaluable to my current projects.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
I’ll probably still be doing what I’m doing, here in Canada and internationally. I expect I’ll also do more knowledge translation – taking scientific information and making it accessible to people, policy makers and non-governmental organizations. I enjoy writing and speaking about these issues – and I’m a bit of a baseball nut – 10 years from now I hope to be celebrating the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series!
Professor Michael Brauer of the UBC Centre for Health and Environment Research has been studying the impact of air pollution on lung health. In a current project partly funded by the British Columbia Lung Association, Brauer is looking at smoke generated by forest fires and its effect on human health.