Evacuations expand Monday night in Northeast Portland due to unhealthy smoke from fire

Evacuations expand Monday night in Northeast Portland due to unhealthy smoke from fire
Health Impacts Gases and fine particles in smoke can irritate people’s eyes and respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases, according to Todd Hudson, a public health toxicologist with the Oregon Health Authority. But the black smoke from sources such as auto salvage yards or tires can have more of that fine particulate and toxic chemicals, including asbestos, aldehydes, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, styrene, metals and dioxins. Smoke from burning tires or plastic material can include toxic chemicals of synthetic rubber compounds. Each tire contains about two gallons of petroleum products similar to heating oil. Children, the elderly and people with heart and lung problems are at at greatest risk. Young children and infants breathe more times per minute than adults and take in more air volume relative to their body size, making them among the sensitive groups when air quality is poor.