野火後如何保護自己免受有毒碎屑的侵害

專家說，有毒碎片的傷害可能會導致險惡的長期健康影響。因此，重要的是要穿個人防護裝備和徹底清潔尚存的空間，以減輕有毒化學物質的風險。

After the Palisades Fire burned through his Malibu neighborhood, Michael Ingram was eager to see what remained of his childhood home. At a reentry point into the neighborhood, volunteers briefed him about the dangers of sifting through the ashes and encouraged him not to stay in the area for more than 15 minutes without protective gear. They handed him a bag full of gear and sent him on his way.

帕利塞德（Palisades）大火在他的馬里布（Malibu）附近燃燒後，邁克爾·英格拉姆（Michael Ingram）渴望看到他童年時代的住所。在進入附近的一個重點，志願者向他介紹了篩分灰燼的危險，並鼓勵他在沒有防護裝備的情況下不要在該地區停留超過15分鐘。他們遞給他一個裝滿裝備的袋子，然後把他送去。

When Ingram pulled up to the property, he found that the steel beams that supported the home had melted and the concrete slabs had failed. Much of the house had fallen in. Many of his family’s belongings lay as ash, teetering on the edge of the mountain. They chose not to sift through the debris and opened only their family safe.

當英格拉姆（Ingram）拉到該物業時，他發現支撐房屋的鋼樑融化了，混凝土板已經失敗。房子的大部分內容都掉進去。他的許多家人的財產躺在灰燼中，搖搖欲墜。他們選擇不篩選碎片，只開放了家人的安全。

“The small chance to find some token or memento against the very real risk of inhaling all these toxins, it just wasn't worth it for us,” Ingram said.

英格拉姆說：“對於吸入所有這些毒素的真正風險，找到一些令牌或紀念品的機會很小，這對我們來說是不值得的。”

Ingram is one of thousands of residents returning to their neighborhoods after the devastating fires that torched homes throughout Los Angeles. Experts say the harm from toxic debris could cause sinister long-term health effects. So it’s important to wear personal protective gear and thoroughly clean surviving spaces to mitigate the risk from toxic chemicals.

英格拉姆（Ingram）是成千上萬的居民之一，在毀滅性的洛杉磯毀滅性房屋的毀滅性大火之後，返回附近。專家說，有毒碎片的傷害可能會導致險惡的長期健康影響。因此，重要的是要穿個人防護裝備和徹底清潔尚存的空間，以減輕有毒化學物質的風險。

Here’s what you should know.

這是您應該知道的。

What are the risks?

有什麼風險？

Evelyn Wong, the medical director of Medical Mission Adventures, a nonprofit in Los Angeles dedicated to offering free mobile medical services, said that fires feature two major exposure periods: the smoke during the fire and then the toxic chemicals that linger long afterward.

醫療任務冒險醫療總監伊夫琳·王（Evelyn Wong）是洛杉磯的一家非營利組織，致力於提供免費的移動醫療服務。

During the Maui fires, which Wong responded to, “As people began returning to search for personal belongings without proper protective gear, we faced another wave of respiratory complaints,” she said. That pattern is repeating itself throughout Los Angeles.

她說：“當人們開始在沒有適當的保護裝備的情況下返回個人物品時，我們對毛伊島的大火做出了回應，我們面臨著另一波呼吸道投訴。”這種模式在整個洛杉磯都重演。

“People don’t realize how toxic that ash is,” said Wong, who is operating a mobile medical clinic out of a church parking lot in Pasadena.

Wong說：“人們沒有意識到Ash是如何有毒的。”

Wildfires expose people to particulates like soot, and larger particles like ash, which can cause a range of adverse health effects. Soot and other fine particles, known as PM2.5, can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing asthma, heart disease and thousands of premature deaths each year.

野火使人們暴露於菸灰等顆粒物，以及較大的顆粒，例如灰燼，這會引起一系列不良的健康影響。煙灰和其他細顆粒（稱為PM2.5）可以滲透到肺部深處並進入血液，每年引起哮喘，心髒病和成千上萬的早期死亡。

Urban fires can also introduce heavy metals, asbestos, lead and other gases into the air. Smoke and ash from urban wildfires contain more toxic chemicals, compared to forest fires, because of the hazardous chemicals that permeate common household products such as electronics, plastics, insulation and metals. The burning of all these materials creates a powerful toxic brew.

城市大火還可以將重金屬，石棉，鉛和其他氣體引入空中。與森林大火相比，城市野火中的煙霧和灰燼含有更多的有毒化學物質，因為滲透到電子，塑料，絕緣和金屬等危險化學物質。所有這些材料的燃燒產生了強大的有毒啤酒。

How to protect yourself

如何保護自己

In the aftermath of an urban wildfire, personal protective equipment serves as a primary barrier against direct exposure to ash, soot, fine particles and gases released by hazardous materials burned in the fires.

在城市野火之後，個人防護設備是主要障礙，可直接暴露於灰燼，煙灰，細顆粒和氣體，該災害被燃燒在火災中的危險材料釋放出來。

Walking through burned areas can kick up settled soot and other toxic particles, which can enter the body through inhalation, eyes and skin.

穿過燃燒的區域可以踢出沉降的煙灰和其他有毒的顆粒，這些煙灰可以通過吸入，眼睛和皮膚進入身體。

In recent weeks, Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian medical organization, has handed out thousands of reentry kits in Los Angeles and more than 2 million N95 masks. Kits, like the one Ingram received, include white coveralls, gloves, goggles, boot covers and N95 masks. N95 masks and respirators offer better protection than surgical or cloth masks, which won’t catch fine particles.

最近幾週，非營利組織的人道主義醫學組織Direct Relief已在洛杉磯和超過200萬個N95口罩中分發了數千套重新進入套件。像Ingram收到的一個套件一樣，包括白色的負責人，手套，護目鏡，靴子蓋和N95口罩。 N95口罩和呼吸器比手術或布面具提供更好的保護，這不會捕獲細顆粒。

Particles and ash can cling to clothing and pose an additional exposure route. Avoid reusing N95 masks and always clean protective clothing before reusing.

顆粒和灰燼可以緊貼衣服，並構成額外的曝光路線。避免重複使用N95口罩，並在重複使用之前始終清潔防護服。

“It might be blue skies, the fire’s out and the risk seems to be gone, but just sifting through belongings, that’s going to expose a person to pretty high particulate matter,” said Alycia Clark, Direct Relief’s vice president and chief pharmacy officer.

直接救濟副總裁兼首席藥房官Alycia Clark說：“這可能是藍天，大火熄滅，風險似乎消失了，但是只要篩選物品，這將使一個人面臨相當高的顆粒物。”

Wong said that she has seen a number of patients with respiratory complications and other symptoms in the days after the fires. Many of her patients were unaware of the importance of wearing protective gear.

黃說，在大火後的幾天裡，她已經看到許多患有呼吸並發症和其他症狀的患者。她的許多患者不知道穿防護裝備的重要性。

“There are so many toxic chemicals, particles in the air that we can’t see,” Wong said.

Wong說：“有很多有毒化學物質，空氣中的顆粒，我們看不到。”

How to clean your home

如何打掃房屋

In the home, toxic particles can be deposited on floors, walls, fabrics and other surfaces. It’s important to clean debris in a way that doesn’t further expose you to hazardous chemicals. The first step before entering a fire-damaged home to clean is to put on protective gear to curb inhalation risks and exposure through the skin and eyes.

在家庭中，有毒顆粒可以沉積在地板，牆壁，織物和其他表面上。重要的是要以一種不會進一步暴露於危險化學物質的方式清潔碎屑。進入遭受火災損壞的房屋清潔之前的第一步是戴上防護裝備，以遏制吸入風險和通過皮膚和眼睛曝光。

Vulnerable individuals including children and people who have preexisting conditions, are older or who are pregnant should not participate in cleanup activities.

包括兒童和已經存在的疾病，年齡較大或懷孕的人在內的弱勢個人不應參加清理活動。

Delphine Farmer, a professor of chemistry at Colorado State University, suggests opening a window to help diffuse particles stirred up by cleaning.

科羅拉多州立大學化學教授Delphine Farmer建議打開一個窗戶，以幫助通過清潔散佈顆粒。

If the air outside is still smoky, you can create a “clean air room” by sealing off a room and running an HVAC unit or using an air filter, said Laura Kate Bender, assistant vice president of nationwide healthy air at the American Lung Association. Then repeat

美國肺肺部健康空氣助理副總裁Laura Kate Bender說，如果外面的空氣仍然煙熏，您可以通過密封房間並運行HVAC單元或使用空氣過濾器來創建一個“乾淨的空氣室”。 。然後重複