As wildfire smoke affects air quality across large portions of the United States, Amy Kalkbrenner, PhD, MPH, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health, is helping families understand how they can protect the air inside their homes.
Kalkbrenner recently contributed her public health expertise to an NBC News story examining the health risks of wildfire smoke and practical ways to reduce exposure indoors.
Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particles that can travel deep into the lungs and contribute to both immediate and long-term health problems. Smoke exposure may cause headaches, chest tightness, shortness of breath and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Because outdoor smoke can also enter homes, remaining indoors may not provide complete protection without additional steps to improve indoor air quality.
Creating cleaner air at home
The story recommends using the highest-efficiency filter that a home’s heating and cooling system can safely accommodate. Filters rated MERV 13 or higher are ideal for capturing small particles. During a smoke event, residents should also set their systems to recirculate indoor air and close vents that bring in outside air when possible.
Portable air cleaners equipped with HEPA filters can provide additional protection. Households with only one purifier can use it to create a designated “clean room” where family members spend much of their time.
“The basic message is that something is better than nothing,” Kalkbrenner told NBC News.
That guidance is especially important for households that may not be able to purchase a commercial air purifier. Even modest and affordable measures can reduce exposure to harmful particles.
Affordable DIY air purifiers can be effective
Kalkbrenner also discussed do-it-yourself air purifiers made by attaching high-efficiency furnace filters to a standard box fan. These devices are relatively inexpensive and can be assembled using materials available at many hardware or home-improvement stores.
Research conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that properly constructed DIY air cleaners can remove fine particles from indoor air as effectively as some small commercial air purifiers.
“The good news is they really work,” Kalkbrenner said.
One common design uses four 20-by-20-inch MERV 13 filters, a box fan, cardboard and duct tape. Simpler versions can be constructed with one or two filters. The filters should be positioned according to the direction of their airflow arrows, and the edges should be sealed to prevent unfiltered air from entering the device.
Translating environmental health research into action
Kalkbrenner’s contributions reflect her broader work examining how environmental pollutants affect human health. Her research focuses particularly on exposure to airborne pollutants, including fine particulate matter, traffic-related pollution, volatile organic compounds and tobacco smoke. She also studies how exposure during pregnancy and early childhood may influence children’s health and development.
She is currently contributing to research examining connections among climate change, air pollution and asthma among children in Milwaukee. That work seeks to understand how environmental changes translate into local health effects and which climate strategies could provide the greatest health benefits.
By sharing accessible and affordable strategies through national media, Kalkbrenner is helping translate public health evidence into actions families can take during periods of poor air quality. Her advice also underscores an important public health message: People do not necessarily need expensive equipment to begin protecting themselves from wildfire smoke.