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Liath Guetta (pulmonologist)
While the fires continue in Canada, a cloud of smoke is arriving in France this week, with a peak expected on Thursday. Should we fear it? Answers from Lith Guetta, pulmonologist.
While more than 80 fires have been ravaging Canada for several weeks, and the United States has found itself under a thick blanket of smoke, it is Europe’s turn to suffer the consequences of the natural disaster: a cloud of smoke, larger than the area of France, is expected in our skies, with a peak expected on Thursday, before dispersing. What to wonder about its effects.
A cloud the size of France right over us
Driven by a westerly flow, the ash cloud will cross our country throughout the week, as demonstrated by theaerosol animation underway around the world. According to weather forecasts, concentrations of ash should affect France today and until Thursday, before continuing their course towards Eastern Europe at the end of the week. Low to moderate concentrations of carbon monoxide will therefore be present in our atmosphere all week. according to data from the Copernicus organization.
Will the cloud be visible? Not like in the United States, reveals Romain Weber, a meteorologist from Lyon in News Lyon. But a hazy, yellowish veil would be possible.
Toxic yes, but no more than the usual air pollution
For Dr. Liath Guetta pulmonologist, and member of our committee of experts, the news of this passage of smoke is not the most worrying:
“This is not to say that it is harmless, because anything that is a cloud of smoke is obviously toxic, at the respiratory level. Like any atmospheric pollutant, this cloud is likely to cause some irritation of the bronchi, called bronchial hyperreactivity, coughing, as well as sometimes asthmatic reactions known by some people, by dint of having the bronchi irritated by polluting agents”.
But the threat seems to him to be attenuated compared to the fears put forward by the media:
“This cloud has thus crossed an entire ocean. It is not the same situation as in the United States, when the cloud of smoke was filled with carbon monoxide. It does not therefore seem to me to be more toxic than the usual air pollution in France, or when the sands of the Sahara also flew over France last week”.