10 | COVER STORY— November/December 2017
more than $3 billion in damage and counting, Google
now has mapping vehicles equipped with monitors to
test the air. These wildfires are also exposing an age-
old problem of outdoor air vs. indoor air. See if you can
spot the issue…
1. After the wildfires in British Columbia, scientist
Sarah Henderson told the National Observer
newspaper that the "best thing people can do is
stay inside, in a building with air filtration."
2. On Twitter, a man named Marco is telling people
to stay indoors. The air quality here (California) is
getting bad. Get some respirator masks if you're
going to be outside.
3. A CBS TV station interviews Dr. Cyrus Rangan
of the Los Angeles County Public Health Depart-
ment who says don't wear a mask. "They gen-
erally cause more problems than not" because
they don't filter our small particles or gases well,
and moisture can build up, promoting microbial
growth.
So when there's a wildfire or smog or chemicals
in the outdoor air, make sure you stay inside or wear
a mask outdoors. Or maybe not, if you don't want to
It's All in the Masks
Fast Company magazine found three companies
who are taking air masks to the next level in fashion.
O2Today, Airinum and Cambridge Mask Co. all
using the web site www.pollutionairmask.com,
have created masks that are not only built for
health, but also for interesting fabrics and design.
India, Asia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. are
all big markets for people using the masks for pro-
tection against air pollution or even bike riders,
who are exposed to black carbon levels.
Lead Testing Inspiration
An 11-year-old Colorado girl won
3M's Top Young Scientist honor
when she found a way to test lead
in water faster. Check out her story
at https://www.npr.org/sections/
t h e t w o - w a y / 2 0 1 7 / 1 0 / 2 0 /
559071028/troubled-by-flint-water-
crisis-11-year-old-girl-invents-lead-
detecting-device
