Some remember that old song but for us here in Silver City, it’s been a reality since June 9, 2025. That’s well over a month, and that’s a lot of smoke to be inhaling. My heart goes out to pregnant women, young babies, people with COPD and other lung conditions as well as those who deal with allergies.
The toxins in smoke of this sort, can be very difficult to deal with. They irritate the eyes and tender breathing tissues. The body tries to fight back by creating mucous in the very complicated breathing parts of the body. That can compound the problems for those who are most sensitive to toxins.
We’ve been told that fires help promote health in the forest, but what about the health of those who live near forests who breathe the ash and aftereffects of the fires? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a lot of information on the effects of these wildfires.
So what’s in smoke that’s a cause of concern? Particulate matter refers to ash that is smoke. Our lungs weren’t made to filter such stuff, so it can be irritating to the delicate membranes in the lungs. Tiny alveoli inside of lungs are like air sacs, Their job is to exchange oxygen for the carbon dioxide that the body expels. If they become clogged, breathing can quickly become compromised.
If buildings burn in the fires, the contaminants quickly include lead and other heavy metals used in construction. The combinations of different types of fuels can quickly increase the resulting hazards. Some are thought to increase the incidence of lung cancer.
Let’s look at some of these chemicals from wildfires. They’re collectively called HAPs. (Hazardous Air Pollutants): Acetaldehyde, acrolein, chloroform, formaldehyde, manganese, and tetrachloroethylene, were all significantly elevated on smoke-impacted versus non-smoke days
Acetaldehyde can form by burning trees and bushes which contain carbon-based matter that doesn’t thoroughly break down when burned. It then forms different chemical compounds. One of which is alcohol from which acetaldehyde is made. It irritates the skin, eyes and entire respiratory tract, and is a potential cause of cancer. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/npi/substances/fact-sheets/acetaldehyde
Acrolein is also formed during fuel burnls and is also in the toxic aldehyde family. Firefighters are especially vulnerable and sensitive to this family. It irritates all mucous membranes, including the eyes, nose, and voice box. It can damage the central nervous system and cause mucous buildup in the lungs . It’s classed as a hazardous substance.
https://dhss.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/dph/pdf Acrolein_FAQ_PUB_ENG_0323.pdf
Formaldehyde is a formidable foe found in many household products. Outgassing has been known for years to be very toxic. It’s interesting to note that satellites can pick out this gas in the smoke. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/fe14/625763816c953a488dda2359f59cb9ed4fda.pdf
The Environmental Protection Agency analyzes the effects of toxic chemicals in wildfires and formaldehyde causes more cancer than any of the others. That could be because of other toxic chemicals in wildfires such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, butenes, phenol, isoprene and pinenes. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9393878/
A group of attorneys who deal with lawsuits and chemical injuries offer this guide to symptoms from formaldehyde exposure. “Sensations of burning, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.” It can “trigger asthma attacks and cause skin symptoms such as “redness, itching and blistering.”
Prolonged exposure can cause “headaches, memory problems, mood impairment, and chronic bronchitis.” It's known as a Group 1 carcinogen which shows that it can cause cancer in those exposed long-term. Children are particularly vulnerable to even more symptoms than adults. https://www.kherkhergarcia.com/formaldehyde-effects-humans-environment/
Another point of concern is that plant exposure can cause slow growth, leaf loss and rot. It can be toxic to marine life, and although it doesn’t address animals, we can be sure that they may well have similar symptoms to humans. Perhaps the most concerning thing is that it can change the DNA. Perhaps that is why it’s listed as a carcinogen. It can also decompose into carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Since humans, and animals need oxygen in order to survive, the deterioration of formaldehyde can compromise future health as well.
A number of the toxins we’ve explored can cause “oxidative stress inflammation.”
What that means is that molecules with an uneven number of electrons create free radicals in the body. Those can damage the body by setting up a series of chemical reactions that steal electrons from one another in a process called oxidation.
Antioxidants can give electrons to a free radical without causing harm. When there are too many free radicals in the body it can set up progression to a number of disorders. Among them are diabetes, joint pain, hardening of blood vessels, high blood pressure, heart disorders, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and cancer. So, when free radicals overwhelm the body, a host of symptoms can come in. The toxins we’ve explored all cause oxidation along with the inflammation that the process causes.
Dietary changes can be helpful as antioxidants are found in many fruits and vegetables. The different colors in fruits all contain certain combinations of beta-carotenes. They change in the body to a type of vitamin A that helps bring healing to mucous membranes such as the eyes, nasal passages, lungs, kidneys and urinary tract and the interior of blood vessel walls. Broccoli sprouts, are very high in antioxidants. Other sprouts have great value along with colorful veggies as carrots, beets, winter squash and all greens.
The packaged, adulterated, genetically modified, pesticide saturated foods we consume all have chemical formulas that alter the naturally occurring foods into those that can cause free radicals.
Although it looks like we’ve strayed far from smoke, the processes that smoke and frankinfoods set up in the body are similar in harm & also respond to healthy interventions.
Since there are quite a number of healthy alternatives, I’ll focus on them next time. Until then, consider eating more fresh fruits and veggies to help remove toxins from your body and drink more pure water to help flush them out.
Also consider having fresh plants in the rooms you inhabit the most. They can take care of some toxins and increase your oxygen content which also helps deal with free radicals
Stay healthy. Take notes of some of the alternatives and begin to make them a part of your daily life.
Nancy Pidutti, PhD, (NHH), RN, Author, hospital Chaplain.
