Wildfires and fine particles: how to protect yourself

Journal · Vitality & protection

Wildfires and fine particles: how to protect yourself

Every summer, wildfires bring home a reality that is invisible the rest of the year: their smoke is one of the main sources of fine particles, and the wind carries it hundreds of kilometres. But we are not powerless.

Wildfire smoke can degrade air quality far beyond the areas on fire. Two levers exist, and they complement each other: reducing your exposure through simple steps, and supporting your cellular defences through your diet. The first is by far the most effective. Here is how to combine them.

What are fine particles?

“Fine particles” refers to a microscopic mixture of dust, soot and droplets suspended in the air. They are classified by diameter: PM10 (smaller than 10 micrometres), PM2.5 (smaller than 2.5 µm) and ultrafine particles, PM0.1. The smaller a particle, the deeper it penetrates: PM2.5 reach the pulmonary alveoli and can pass into the bloodstream.

They come from many sources: road traffic (engines, braking, tyre wear), wood and oil heating, industry, agriculture, household activities such as cooking or candles, and also major natural sources, wildfires first among them. Indoor air can therefore be just as affected as outdoor air.

Depending on their size, particles stop in the nose and throat, reach the lungs or pass into the blood.

Wildfires: a fine particle peak

Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of gases and very fine particles, a large proportion of which are PM2.5, the most penetrating. These particles travel long distances, so you can breathe degraded air without seeing any fire nearby. During these episodes, air quality indices sometimes reach very high levels within a few hours.

The effects are often felt immediately: irritation of the eyes, throat and airways, coughing, headaches, breathing discomfort. Sensitive people (babies, children, pregnant women, older people, people with asthma or with heart or respiratory conditions) are the most exposed and need to be especially careful.

The right reflexes during a smoke episode

• Stay indoors as much as possible and close doors and windows.
• Limit ventilation while the outdoor air is heavily polluted; on a ventilation or air conditioning system, use recirculation mode.
• Purify the air in living areas with a HEPA filter, starting with the bedroom.
• Wear an FFP2 mask (not just a fabric mask) if you absolutely have to go out.

Why does it matter?

Once inhaled, fine particles trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in the body: an imbalance between aggressive molecules (free radicals) and the body's natural antioxidant defences. It is this silent but repeated mechanism that lies at the heart of their effects on respiratory and cardiovascular health.

Health authorities associate long-term exposure with a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, and with a worsening of chronic conditions.

The first and most effective protection is still to limit contact.

1. Reducing your exposure: the steps that count

• Check the air quality using local indices and adapt your activities on peak days.
• Avoid intense exercise outdoors at the most polluted times and places: when you exert yourself, you breathe more, so you inhale more.
• Air your home at the right time: early in the morning or in the evening, away from traffic peaks.
• Clean up your indoor air: a HEPA filter in living areas, a cooker hood when cooking, fewer candles and less incense.
• Wear a suitable mask (FFP2 type) during intense peaks, especially if you are a sensitive person.
• Do not smoke indoors and limit inefficient wood heating.

2. Supporting your body from within

We cannot always avoid fine particles. This is where the second line comes in: nourishing the body's natural defences against oxidative stress. Diet plays a central role: a plate rich in colourful fruit and vegetables, oily fish, good-quality oils and a variety of plant foods naturally provides antioxidants and fatty acids.

What research reports

A key mechanism: metal chelation

Not all fine particles are equal. Those from combustion (traffic, industry and above all wildfire smoke) carry metals such as iron or copper. Once in the body, these “free” metals behave like sparks: they catalyse reactions (known as Fenton reactions) that generate free radicals and amplify oxidative stress.

This is where chelation comes in: certain molecules can capture these free metals and lock them into a stable complex, making them inactive. The metal neutralised in this way no longer fuels oxidative reactions and can be eliminated through the body's natural pathways.

Chelation captures the reactive metals carried by particles and neutralises their pro-oxidant effect.

Several ingredients have these chelating or detoxifying properties: lactoferrin (which specifically captures free iron), alpha-lipoic acid (which binds several metals while regenerating glutathione), glutathione (a pillar of cellular detoxification) and quercetin (an iron-chelating polyphenol).

3. The BIOLOGYST approach

Our formulas are built around patented ingredients, dosed according to the studies. Here is a selection designed around environmental oxidative stress.

Antioxidant Defense

The formula brings together Setria® L-Glutathione (375 mg, a patented and bioavailable form), Quercetin (427.5 mg), ExceptionHYAL® Star (a patented hyaluronic acid, 240 mg) and Vitamin C (150 mg), which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Complementary formulas

Adaptive Boost

Alpha-lipoic acid (300 mg) and Setria® L-Glutathione (300 mg), with rhodiola and vitamins C and E, which contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Nigelle Active+

Black seed oil (1,500 mg) rich in thymoquinone, combined with vitamin E, which contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

Lactoferrine Active+

Proferrin® 500 mg per 2 capsules, including 475 mg of pure lactoferrin, the protein described above for its ability to capture free iron.

Power Hydra Flow

Hyaluronic acid (100 mg) and vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.

Take the personalised diagnostic

Focus: lactoferrin for the most sensitive

Lactoferrin deserves particular attention for babies, children and pregnant women. It is not a compound foreign to the body: it is a protein naturally present in breast milk and colostrum, precisely at the time of life when defences are being built.

Three groups for whom vigilance about fine particles is particularly important.

Why this greater sensitivity? Babies breathe faster and therefore inhale more air relative to their weight, with an immune system that is still immature. Children have lungs in full development and often spend more time outdoors. In pregnant women, exposure is in a sense shared with the foetus, and iron needs are higher.

The main roles of lactoferrin in the body.

Frequently asked questions

Which mask should you wear during a smoke episode?

An FFP2 mask, which filters at least 94% of particles under the EN 149 standard, or an FFP3 (99%). A surgical or fabric mask is not suitable: it is not designed for fine particles and, above all, it does not seal against the face. Air gets in at the sides. An FFP2 that fits poorly or is worn over a beard loses most of its effectiveness.

How long do fine particles stay in the air after a fire?

From a few hours to several days, depending on the wind, humidity and terrain. Smoke plumes can travel hundreds to thousands of kilometres: you can breathe in the particles of a fire you cannot see and do not even know about. The absence of a smell is not a reliable signal.

Should you air your home when there is smoke outside?

Not during the peak. Keep doors and windows closed while concentrations are high, and air the room quickly when they come down, usually early in the morning or after the wind changes. A home that is never aired builds up its own indoor pollutants; the point is to choose the right moment, not to seal yourself in indefinitely.

Is wildfire smoke more harmful than traffic pollution?

For the same mass of PM2.5, recent research suggests that particles from burning biomass could have a more marked respiratory effect than those from urban traffic. The question is still debated. What is established, however, is the size of the peaks: a wildfire episode drives concentrations far above an ordinary day of traffic.

How can I find out the air quality near me?

In France, the ATMO index is published every day for each municipality by the approved air quality monitoring associations (AASQA), grouped under Atmo France. Each region has its own: AtmoSud, Airparif, Atmo Nouvelle-Aquitaine… The index includes PM2.5 and can be checked freely online.

Can you exercise during a fine particle peak?

Avoid intense exercise outdoors. During exercise, the volume of air you breathe is multiplied by ten to twenty, and you switch from nasal breathing (which filters a little) to mouth breathing, which filters nothing. The inhaled dose therefore rises much faster than the length of the session would suggest. Postpone the session, or move it indoors.

Is an air purifier really useful?

Yes, if it has a HEPA filter and is correctly sized for the room: an H13 filter retains more than 99.9% of 0.3 µm particles. Two limits to be aware of: without an activated carbon stage it does not treat gases or volatile compounds, and its effect stops at the room it is in. One unit in the bedroom is better than nothing in the whole home.

Who should be most careful about fine particles?

Children (whose lungs are developing and who breathe more air per kilo of body weight), pregnant women, older people, and anyone with asthma, COPD or a cardiovascular condition. For these profiles, exposure advice deserves to be discussed with a healthcare professional before the wildfire season, not during it.