Report Finds Smoke From , Canada's Wildfires as Dangerous , as Secondhand Smoke.<br />'Newsweek' reports that smoke from the still ongoing <br />Canadian wildfires may have been as damaging <br />as prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke.<br />According to scientists at Rutgers University, smoke from <br />the wildfires could be compared to secondhand smoke <br />in bars before smoking was banned in most states. .<br />Smoke from the fires has engulfed much of <br />New York and other parts of the United States. .<br />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.<br />At its peak, air quality in New York City <br />had an average concentration of PM2.5 <br />of 330 micrograms per cubic meter on June 7. .<br />Inhaling smoke from any source <br />can have negative health effects <br />and comparing it to the number <br />of cigarettes can be challenging due <br />to the variations in composition and <br />toxicity of different types of smoke. , Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .<br />Other factors, such as the duration <br />and intensity of exposure also play <br />a significant role in determining <br />the potential health impact, Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .<br />'Newsweek' reports that the team also found that <br />the longer smoke lingers in the atmosphere, <br />the greater the impact it has on human health. .<br />We know that the longer the smoke is in the <br />atmosphere—aging—there is a greater risk <br />of chemical changes creating more free <br />radicals that are highly reactive and have the <br />potential to cause adverse health effects, Christopher Migliaccio, Research associate professor in <br />toxicology at the University of Montana, via 'Newsweek' .<br />The team warns that the frequency and severity <br />of fires, and the dangerous smoke they produce, <br />is expected to increase in coming years.
