The Bay Area is a cradle of environmentalism and a region with a rich trove of health and medical research and resources. In this blog, we’ll report on the deepening understanding of how the places we inhabit and the lifestyles we adopt contribute to our own health and the health of our communities.
During the winter, wood smoke is the leading cause of wintertime air pollution in the Bay Area, according to air-quality officials.
The lack of rain this winter has contributed to frequent alerts, as The Bay Citizen has reported. "In general, storms bring good air quality, because they mix air that's closer to the ground with air that's high up," Jennifer Jones, a public information officer for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, told The Bay Citizen. "It helps dilute or disperse pollution."
When the weather is dry and cold, and there is little or no wind, the small particles from wood-burning fires become trapped under a layer of warmer air in the atmosphere. This particulate matter can irritate the lungs, increasing the risk of serious health problems like pneumonia and blood clots. The elderly and children are especially at risk from such pollution.
© The Bay Citizen, 2012
Patrick Mitchell
Bay Area air quality has been horrendous this winter. Don't burn!