The environmental office of Wrangell Cooperative Association will be conducting field surveys later this spring to gauge air quality in the community.
In a presentation to the Healthy Wrangell Coalition at its monthly meeting last week, WCA it was reported will be acquiring an electronic monitoring device that will read for particulate content in the air. Readings will be taken to gauge air quality and measure how prevalent such material is in the air over certain timeframes.
Run through the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP) and sponsored by an Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium grant, the study will focus in particular on fine particulates from wood smoke.
ANTHC describes itself as the largest Native health organization in the country, serving 158,000 people in and around the state. It runs and supports a variety of different health and wellness programs, and its Air and Healthy Homes program works with tribal partners to address air quality and healthy homes issues in their communities.
On its program page, ANTHC identifies rural communities in particular as facing a range of air quality challenges, including but not limited to indoor air quality in homes and at schools, solid waste burning, smoke, road dust, mold and moisture intrusion.
Residents relying on wood stoves as a heat source in their homes are put at higher risk for respiratory problems from inhaling smoke, carbon monoxide, and microscopic particles. Particle pollution from burning wood contains microscopic solid or liquid droplets that are small enough to get deep into the lungs and cause health problems.
Of this particulate, matter less than 10 micrometers across can settle into the bronchi and lungs. Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter pose the greatest problem, able to enter the blood stream through the lungs.
There are ways to mitigate health risks posed by wood stoves, such as using only dry wood and not allowing the fire to smolder. Site inspections of household stoves and wood storage can help identify spot fixes, and further alternatives include using pressed brick logs, wood shed construction and so forth.
Wrangell’s IGAP also conducts toxin monitoring for shellfish found on local beaches, and has organized other community health initiatives such as the boatyard’s net recycling collection and elder household cleanup drives.
The WCA will also be holding an e-waste collection next month at its cultural center on Front Street, set for April 15. Look for its booth at next weekend’s Health Fair (April 1 at the Nolan Center, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) for more details.
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