Experts have issued a major warning for over 1,000,000 American drivers in Indiana to avoid gas stations and other key activities during the day, as toxic smoke from Canadian wildfires drifts south with potentially dangerous consequences.
Outside of the obviously devastating effects of wildfires on the locations directly affected, smoke produced from the mass burning can have dangerous and more long term ramifications on areas far beyond the original disaster.
Following reports of major wildfires in Canada with provinces including British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba significantly impacted, toxic smoke and gases generated by the fires has rapidly spread across the globe.
It has even managed to reach parts of Switzerland, as per SwissInfo, but it is southeast of the affected Canadian areas that experts have drawn a focus on by issuing major warnings.
What have experts said so far?
As reported by Newsweek, Indiana residents are being warned not to visit gas stations until further notice as air quality in the state has been heavily impacted by the wildfires.
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It's estimated that over 1,000,000 residents are affected by the warnings with the biggest dangers being present in the northern, northwestern, and northeastern parts of the state.
On top of the gas station warning, residents are also advised to minimise car trips as much as possible, and have been urged to carpool or opt for alternative modes of transport. Refuelling of vehicles and gasoline-powered lawn equipment is to be restricted until after 7 PM, and energy-conserving efforts have been strongly advised, including limiting your air conditioner to 75°F and above.
Why are you not allowed to visit gas stations?
The reason behind the gas station and refuelling limitations is related to the dangerous results of combining ozone already in the air with gases present within wildfire smoke.
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As per the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (NOAA), ozone is "formed by sunlight-driven reactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are emitted from consumer products, industry, and vehicle tailpipes."
Refuelling your car at a gas station is one of the biggest ways that ozone is produced, and while it is a significant greenhouse gas that poses a threat to climate change, it is also potentially harmful to your health when combined with wildfire smoke.
"Fires can also eject massive quantities of gasses into the atmosphere, giving off a cocktail of chemical emissions that can produce ozone downwind," outlines NOAA, who also point out that this can last for up to several weeks in the air.
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Increased levels of ozone in the air as a result of both gas stations and wildfire smoke can aggravate serious health problems, including asthma, respiratory problems, and existing heart of lung conditions, so keeping it as low as possible is vitally important in times like this.