Wildfires in Nova Scotia and Canada's impact on air quality and health.

Smoke from wildfires in Nova Scotia and New Jersey has drifted down the northeast corridor, prompting health authorities to issue air-quality warnings as far east as New Jersey, southeast Pennsylvania and parts of Massachusetts. Wildfire smoke contains fine particulates, commonly known as PM2.5, that are often unseen components of smoke and soot. Exposure can trigger short-term respiratory problems such as coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing and asthma exacerbation, and in more severe cases, exposure is linked with cardiovascular impacts, lung cancer and damage to cognitive functions. Everyone is vulnerable to the risks posed by wildfire smoke, but some people are more affected than others, including the elderly, young children, people with preexisting cardiovascular or respiratory disease or who are pregnant, and low-income populations.