https://www.nola.com/news/healthcare_hospitals/accidents-arent-the-danger-of-swamp-fire-smoke-health-threats-lie-in-the-air-we-breathe-new-orleans/article_43443e92-7290-11ee-bb86-4b17086f789d.html [p] * Skip to main content You are the owner of this article. Edit Article Add New Article Close You have permission to edit this article. 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What you need to know. Share this * Facebook * Twitter * WhatsApp * SMS * Email * Print * Copy article link * Save [Save] * * * * * * site-logo Close Wetland fire Smoke billows from a swamp fire in New Orleans East during the second week of October 2023. The fire has produced harsh odors across the New Orleans area since Saturday, Oct. 15, 2023. * Courtesy of Pon Dixson, Bayou Sauvage National Urban Wildlife Refuge * Facebook * Twitter * WhatsApp * SMS * Email * Print * Copy article link * Save [Save] no.smokefog-102423.jpg New Orleans is shrouded in fog and smoke Monday Oct. 23, 2023. (Staff photo by Brett Duke) * STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE * Facebook * Twitter * WhatsApp * SMS * Email * Print * Copy article link * Save [Save] Swamp and marsh fire smoke can be especially bad for breathing. What you need to know. Particulate matter from peat fires is linked to a host of health issues * By EMILY WOODRUFF | Staff writer Emily Woodruff Emily Woodruff + Author email * Oct 24, 2023 * Oct 24, 2023 * * 2 min to read * Facebook * Twitter * WhatsApp * SMS * Email Wetland fire Smoke billows from a swamp fire in New Orleans East during the second week of October 2023. The fire has produced harsh odors across the New Orleans area since Saturday, Oct. 15, 2023. Courtesy of Pon Dixson, Bayou Sauvage National Urban Wildlife Refuge * Facebook * Twitter * WhatsApp * SMS * Email * Print * Copy article link * Save [Save] Already, eight deaths and dozens of injuries from a 150-car pileup can be attributed in part to the heavy layer of smoke from swamp fires smoldering south and east of New Orleans. But a more chronic health threat is brewing: Peat fires are increasing the levels of PM 2.5, a dangerous air pollutant. "PM 2.5 has been shown in so many studies, without a doubt, to be associated with acute and long-term effects, particularly on the cardiovascular and pulmonary system," said Felicia Rabito, an epidemiologist at Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. no.smokefog-102423.jpg New Orleans is shrouded in fog and smoke Monday Oct. 23, 2023. (Staff photo by Brett Duke) STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT DUKE The swamp fires are burning peat, an accumulation of decayed vegetation that builds up in wet areas. Peatlands -- often known as bogs, swamps, moors or mire -- store about 25% of the world's carbon. When it catches fire, it's a perfect recipe for a long-burning, smoky fire that is hard to control. "You have all of this carbon that has been accumulating for decades or hundreds or even thousands of years," said Tina Liu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine. "That causes that fire to burn for a really long time and release lots and lots of smoke." When burned, carbon from peat releases tiny particles called PM 2.5, so named because they are smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. The particles are extremely fine. The diameter of human hair, for example, is about 70 micrometers, making it 30 times larger than the largest particle. Because it is so small, it can penetrate deep into the lungs and cross into the blood-brain barrier. When inhaled, PM 2.5 can cause severe health problems, including asthma, bronchitis, irregular heartbeat, decreased lung function and increased respiratory symptoms. It contributes to early deaths from heart and lung disease and has been linked to Alzheimer's disease and low birth weight. All children and people with lung or heart conditions are most vulnerable to toxins in smoke, along with older adults, pregnant women and their unborn babies. A study of 2015 peat fires in Indonesia found that 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide were released into the air. That's the equivalent of the entire yearly emissions from cars in the U.S. Experts from Harvard and Columbia University estimated the haze produced by the fires contributed to an extra 100,000 premature deaths. Do masks work? The best way to limit inhalation of PM 2.5 is to stay indoors, keep windows closed and set air conditioning systems to the recirculate mode. If you must go outside, wear a mask such as an N95 or KN95, which protect against some of the particles, said Rabito. But even high-grade masks will not protect against all of the harmful pollutants resulting from fires, such as irritant gases, said Kevin Stewart, director of environmental health at the American Lung Association. "The irritant gases will go right through the mask," said Stewart. Air monitors from the Environmental Protection Agency at fire.airnow.gov should give residents some idea of their air quality and show the path of smoke. But they are not perfect measures, and the monitors are sparsely spread over the New Orleans area, with zero monitors in New Orleans East where the smoke is most prominent. Changing winds can alter the air quality by the hour, affecting which neighborhoods are in the path of the smoke plume. Stewart likens it to a fire hose. "Sometimes the hose isn't pointed at you and you don't feel any droplets," said Stewart. "Other times you're getting soaked." N95 and KN95 masks should cover the nose and mouth and be tight-fitting. The city is distributing masks at the following locations: * New Orleans East Regional Library, 5641 Read Blvd., Mon-Thurs, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. * Joe Brown Recreation Center, 5601 Read Blvd., Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. * Sanchez Multi-Service Center, 1616 Fats Domino Ave., Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. - 9 a.m. * Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Dr., Mon-Thurs, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Firefighters are attempting to put out the smoldering fire by flooding the marsh with water from a drainage canal. Dry conditions, though, are expected to persist. Burn bans, currently in effect for most of the state, should be respected, said Stewart. "There is a concern that ... these fires will start in other places," said Stewart. "All it takes is a lightning strike or a discarded cigarette." Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com. * Facebook * Twitter * WhatsApp * SMS * Email * Print * Copy article link * Save [Save] More information Part of I-55 reopens after deadly 150-car pileup. Here's the latest. Part of I-55 reopens after deadly 150-car pileup. Here's the latest. Authorities worked Tuesday to clear Interstate 55 of wreckage from a pileup involving more than 150 cars -- and now, a small section of the int... Tags * Breathe * Smoke * Prime Minister * New Orleans East Regional Library * U.s. Experts * Nokia N95 Smartphone * Columbia University * Cardiovascular And Pulmonary System * Alzheimer's Disease * Sanchez Multi-service Center * Indonesia * Algiers Regional Library * Lung Disease * New Orleans * Chronic Health Threat * Governor * Felicia Rabito * Bronchitis * Tulane * United States * Harvard * Injuries * Tulane's School Of Public Health And Tropical Medicine * Joe Brown Recreation Center * Asthma Emily Woodruff Emily Woodruff * Author email Follow Emily Woodruff Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. 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