CanadaSue
02-04-2005, 09:45 PM
Well this is new & yes, it has been very much noticable:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/04/winter-smog050204.html
***Winter smog afflicting southern Quebec, Ontario
Last Updated Fri, 04 Feb 2005 19:42:29 EST
CBC News
MONTREAL - A thick winter smog blanketing southeastern Quebec and much of southern Ontario because of unusually warm weather is unlikely to lift before some time next week.
Smog obscures the skyline of downtown Montreal. (CP photo)
In Quebec, pollution levels in the air are three times the normal level for this time of year, and Ontario's Environment Ministry has issued its first-ever smog alert in the month of February.
Public health officials say the smog can cause health problems for people with heart and lung disease, and could even lead to deaths among those with serious breathing conditions.
André Cantin, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the smog is made up of extremely small particles.
"It will get into the lungs, and people more sensitive to that may have some breathing problems," he said.
During smog alerts, people with heart and lung conditions, as well as the elderly and small children, are advised to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid strenuous exercise.
Both Environment Canada and public health officials say industrial sources still contribute most to smog, but they also point to a boom in the installation of fireplaces in types of residences that never had them before.
"New condominiums that are going up, they're all equipped with fireplaces," said Norman King, an epidemiologist who works with Montreal's department of public health.
"It seems to be a more popular phenomenon, so what we ask people to do during the smog alert is to stop using their wood-burning apparatus."
Ontario's Ministry of the Environment says there's a 50 per cent probability of smog conditions continuing over the next three days in southern parts of the province, including Toronto.
The department says a strong high-pressure ridge will likely remain over southern and eastern parts of the province for several days, resulting in very light winds and poor dispersion conditions.***
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/02/04/winter-smog050204.html
***Winter smog afflicting southern Quebec, Ontario
Last Updated Fri, 04 Feb 2005 19:42:29 EST
CBC News
MONTREAL - A thick winter smog blanketing southeastern Quebec and much of southern Ontario because of unusually warm weather is unlikely to lift before some time next week.
Smog obscures the skyline of downtown Montreal. (CP photo)
In Quebec, pollution levels in the air are three times the normal level for this time of year, and Ontario's Environment Ministry has issued its first-ever smog alert in the month of February.
Public health officials say the smog can cause health problems for people with heart and lung disease, and could even lead to deaths among those with serious breathing conditions.
André Cantin, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, says the smog is made up of extremely small particles.
"It will get into the lungs, and people more sensitive to that may have some breathing problems," he said.
During smog alerts, people with heart and lung conditions, as well as the elderly and small children, are advised to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid strenuous exercise.
Both Environment Canada and public health officials say industrial sources still contribute most to smog, but they also point to a boom in the installation of fireplaces in types of residences that never had them before.
"New condominiums that are going up, they're all equipped with fireplaces," said Norman King, an epidemiologist who works with Montreal's department of public health.
"It seems to be a more popular phenomenon, so what we ask people to do during the smog alert is to stop using their wood-burning apparatus."
Ontario's Ministry of the Environment says there's a 50 per cent probability of smog conditions continuing over the next three days in southern parts of the province, including Toronto.
The department says a strong high-pressure ridge will likely remain over southern and eastern parts of the province for several days, resulting in very light winds and poor dispersion conditions.***