Health concerns over smoke from forest fires were pushed to the forefront this week after a nine\u002Dyear\u002Dold boy in British Columbia died from asthma exacerbated…
Regulations on air quality vary across federal and provincial jurisdictions but none mandate the use of high efficiency particulate air — or HEPA — filters, or those that have a minimum efficiency reporting value of 13 — termed MERV-13 — or higher.
Studies show that poor indoor air quality in office buildings and schools has been linked to increased health issues, absenteeism, loss of productivity and strained relations between employees and employers, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.Article content In Ontario, school boards are “expected” to utilize MERV-13 filters for schools with mechanical ventilation.
“There should be a bit more than just recommendation as it’s not just affecting people but society,” Bilodeau said. The standards recommend a minimum level of filtration at MERV-8, but while that is effective for preventing dust and some air pollution, experts say it is not enough to keep out extreme pollutants such as wildfire smoke.Article content
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