Report Finds Smoke From , Canada's Wildfires as Dangerous , as Secondhand Smoke.br 'Newsweek' reports that smoke from the still ongoing br Canadian wildfires may have been as damaging br as prolonged exposure to secondhand smoke.br According to scientists at Rutgers University, smoke from br the wildfires could be compared to secondhand smoke br in bars before smoking was banned in most states. .br Smoke from the fires has engulfed much of br New York and other parts of the United States. .br The World Health Organization (WHO) has set safety limits for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to 15 micrograms per cubic meter over a 24-hour period.br At its peak, air quality in New York City br had an average concentration of PM2.5 br of 330 micrograms per cubic meter on June 7. .br Inhaling smoke from any source br can have negative health effects br and comparing it to the number br of cigarettes can be challenging due br to the variations in composition and br toxicity of different types of smoke. , Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .br Other factors, such as the duration br and intensity of exposure also play br a significant role in determining br the potential health impact, Abbas Kanani, Pharmacist at Chemist Click Online Pharmacy, via 'Newsweek' .br 'Newsweek' reports that the team also found that br the longer smoke lingers in the atmosphere, br the greater the impact it has on human health. .br We know that the longer the smoke is in the br atmosphere—aging—there is a greater risk br of chemical changes creating more free br radicals that are highly reactive and have the br potential to cause adverse health effects, Christopher Migliaccio, Research associate professor in br toxicology at the University of Montana, via 'Newsweek' .br The team warns that the frequency and severity br of fires, and the dangerous smoke they produce, br is expected to increase in coming years.