Why does the air in West Virginia smell like plastic?
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Haze from wildfire in Canada brought unhealthy air to West Virginia this week. Alongside the “unhealthy” Air Quality Index, which causes health effects even in healthy individuals, some people have also reported a weird smell.
Since the haze is from smoke, you would think that it would smell more like a campfire, but instead, people report smelling chemicals or plastic.
According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (Michigan EGLE), wood fires like the ones in Canada emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—what people generally know as the campfire smell. But when exposed to sunlight, they break down, meaning that by the time the smoke reaches West Virginia, the campfire smell is gone.
But the fires also release VOCs like benzene, formaldehyde and acrolein, according to the Michigan EGLE, which breaks down more slowly. These compounds are likely the “plastic-y” smells being reported. The EGLE also said that these smells can last for a few days after the fire.
Michigan and West Virginia are far from the only states affected by the Canadian wildfire smoke. This week, almost the whole Midwest—as far east as New York and as far west as Minnesota—was experiencing “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy” air quality.
Source: WBOY.com
