How well do buildings protect occupants during wildfire smoke episodes?
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Ryan Huff, MSc, PhD
Abstract
Wildfire smoke is an increasingly significant public health concern, driven by climate change and the growing frequency and intensity of fire events. During smoke episodes, individuals are often advised to remain indoors; however, the extent to which buildings protect against outdoor air pollutants remains variable and incompletely understood. To address this gap, the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH) conducted a systematic evidence review examining the relationship between indoor and outdoor concentrations of particulate and non-particulate combustion-derived pollutants during wildfire smoke events, as well as the factors influencing their infiltration into indoor environments.
Since closing windows and doors is a common recommendation, this presentation focuses on the practical effectiveness of this and other strategies such as mechanical ventilation and portable air cleaners, while summarizing how building characteristics, ventilation, and occupant behaviour influence indoor exposure to pollutants. It also highlights key evidence gaps, particularly for non-particulate pollutants and real-world performance, to inform clearer public health guidance.
Speaker
Ryan Huff, MSc, PhD, NCCEH
Ryan is an interdisciplinary scientist with a strong interest in understanding how environmental exposures impact human health. He has extensive experience in basic science and clinical research related to air pollution, including wood, cigarette, and cannabis smoke, as well as ambient and traffic-related air pollution. Ryan earned his PhD in the Experimental Medicine program at the UBC Air Pollution Exposure Laboratory where his research focused on exploring therapeutic interventions for air pollution-induced inflammation in the lungs. Previously, Ryan received his Bachelor of Medical Sciences in Biochemistry from Western University and completed his MSc in Medical Genetics at UBC's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre. At the NCCEH, Ryan’s work is currently focused on the environmental health impacts of wildfires and interventions.
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