With over 800 wildfires raging across Canada, thick smoke has drifted into the United States, affecting regions such as the Midwest and the Northeast.
As of Thursday, air quality alerts were issued across several states, including Minnesota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York, urging residents to take precautions.
People who work outdoors, those sensitive to smoky conditions, or in vulnerable groups should consider wearing masks for protection. However, selecting the appropriate mask is crucial.
Kai Chen, an associate professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, informed ABC News that an N95 mask, designed to filter out at least 95% of airborne particles, offers the best protection.
Chen noted that wildfire smoke consists of a mixture of gases, solid particles, and fine particulates, with the fine particulates posing the greatest health risk.
Fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, is 30 times smaller in diameter than a human hair. Because these particles are too small to be seen with the naked eye, they can easily enter the nose and throat and can travel to the lungs. These tiny particles get trapped in the lungs,