As climate change makes summers hotter and drier, wildfire season becomes, on average, longer and more severe. More Canadians are experiencing the impacts with every breath they take… Once smoke rolls in, air purifiers — filtration machines capable of removing toxic chemicals and tiny particulates from the air — can be difficult to find in stores, even for those who can afford them. But at [a workshop], participants are learning to build simple, effective air purifiers at a workshop organized by Bill Darnell, a local resident who helped found Greenpeace in 1970. …He uses information compiled by the BC Lung Foundation and Simon Fraser University to help people build DIY air purifiers, using simple and accessible components like box fans, furnace filters and duct tape. …these air purifiers can perform as well as commercial air purifiers [that] often cost hundreds of dollars, while the materials for these DIY versions cost less than $60. 

Additional Information:

• BC Lung Foundation: The BREATHE Project: DIY Air Cleaners
• National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health: Do-it-yourself (DIY) air cleaners: Evidence on effectiveness and considerations for safe operation