Pondering Climate, Drought and Laundry Chores in New Hampshire

Doing Laundry

I have just shy of 30 years of experience working to improve people’s health. Usually I think in terms of lifestyle changes, a wholesome plant-based diet and lots of exercise to help counsel my patients to keep healthy. But more recently, I have started thinking in larger terms of climate and its impact on health here in New Hampshire. It’s raining hard outside this morning as I write this but my mind is also on drought. Water shortage as well as over precipitation is one of many ways our climate can affect our health. We have all been seeing the devastation of California due to raging drought-driven fires. But this can hit closer to home also and may be much more subtle. 

This last June, our washing machine broke. I quickly called my friend that lives nearby who I knew would not be put out by someone dropping in. I said hello and asked if I could come by and do some laundry. She hesitated before answering and said “is there anyone else who could help you?” Immediately my mind started making an inventory of all the things I could have possibly done to annoy my friend over the last month or two. Luckily, before my imagination wandered too much, she clarified. “Our well is very low. We are worrying it is going to dry up.” Well I was relieved I had not committed an offence but saddened by the stress in her voice. Wow! This is real. I thought drought was in California, not here in Southern New Hampshire. 

Climate and Extreme Weather

While waiting for my laundry to wash today, I did a little research. Weather extremes and specifically drought and flooding conditions have obvious and not so obvious adverse effects on our health. Drought conditions result in stress on the population due to lack of clean water for drinking and hygiene purposes like washing hands, which increases spread of diseases including viral, bacterial and protozoan. Also, drought may result in crop loss which can lead to low food supplies, stress on farm owners and the businesses connected to them, and the stress of home owners and townships having to ration water. Other health effects include poor water quality when water collects in pools and then stagnates. If widespread enough, this contaminated surface water can seep into our groundwater which then enters our wells. (1) According to the CDC, drought may increase the concentration of E. coli and salmonella bacteria in standing bodies of surface water which can sicken people who swim in it or drink from contaminated wells. Also, Mosquito borne illnesses like West Nile Virus can uptick during extremes when heavy rain is followed by drought. Again, those surface standing bodies of water collect during the heavy rainfall but then are not washed away and stagnate due to the following period of drought providing great places for mosquitos and bacteria to breed (1). I am happy that in New Hampshire we have a lot of public agencies and private companies working hard to test water and control water quality, and for the most part, our state is successful at preventing these health impacts.

Climate and Wildfire

One other health issue caused by drought is wildfires. There has been much discussion of fires in NH recently. New Hampshire Public Radio quoted forest managers saying that the risk of fires in our NH forest was increased in 2020 due to the effects of drought. (3) The immediate health threat of fire is of course the destruction of homes and lives and forests. The more insidious harmful effect of smoke is impacts on our respiratory health especially in children, asthmatics and those with emphysema and other lung disease. A recent modeling study indicated that the health impacts from certain Western wildfires may be significant among some populations in the Eastern US. Also, the fire increases ash and sediment in water which covers the surface of the water, decreasing oxygen levels and harming fish and plant life. This would affect fishing as well as resulting in poor water quality that may lead to sickness. (1) Drought and wildfire conditions change month by month, and the US Drought Monitor is a great resource to keep an eye on how it might affect you. 

Climate and Precipitation

Increased precipitation can in itself cause health problems due to an increase in moisture in homes. People living in highly moist air environments are well known to have higher rates of asthma, wheezing, cough and upper respiratory infections. Also, mold will grow when there is too much moisture. Again, increased allergy symptoms and wheezing and upper respiratory illness is seen when people live in moldy homes. Too many days of cloud cover and rain will damage crops, providing loss of healthy foods for the populace and also stress and financial harm to farmers and others who rely on crops for their businesses. Of course, the immediate threat of too much precipitation is flooding causing loss of life, structural damage and lack of access to resources. (2)

Well, while pondering all of this, I can take a few small steps to make a difference. I am going to put another load of laundry in my new washing machine. I’m going to make sure I fill the load up completely and not do a load until I have to. I actually think of reusing clothes more so I don’t use too much water. We did buy an energy efficient washing machine which can wash a larger load for less energy. I also try to use less water when washing dishes. If I can help my patients in the office by counseling on diet and exercise then maybe I can help in ways that focus on the benefits of climate-related health also. And maybe helping in little ways will add up to be big impacts. 

1) We can protect ourselves and our patients by learning more about the known health implications of drought.

CDC Health Implications of Drought

2) We can protect ourselves and our patients by learning more about the known health implications of extreme precipitation.

Precipitation Extremes: Heavy Rainfall, Flooding, and Droughts

3)We can learn more about how Western and Eastern wildfires affect health.

N.H. Acquires Surplus Military Trucks To Help Towns Fight Wildfires

Darla Thyng, MD, Family Practice Physician