Wildfire Smoke Is Even More Dangerous Than Anyone Knew

This story was originally Appear in high country news and is part of climate desk cooperate.

The more researchers learn about wildfire smoke, the more alarming the situation becomes. Smoke contains tiny particles called 2.5pm Because PM (particulate matter) has a size of 2.5 microns or less, it is small enough to easily enter our lungs and then our bloodstream. Researchers have linked particulate matter in wildfire smoke to higher concentrations. risk Stroke, heart disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer and other serious illnesses.

The harmful effects don’t stop there. 2024 is a banner year for research into wildfire smoke and its effects on health, from brain function to fertility. While there’s still much to learn, wildfire smoke is considered particularly insidious comparative Other sources of air pollution; their smaller particle size, intermittent spikes, and higher concentrations of inflammatory compounds make them more dangerous.

This year’s new findings are disturbing. But the more we know about smoke, the better we can protect ourselves from it, whether we live hundreds of miles from fires or face them directly like wildland firefighters. Research highlights the need for changes including better indoor air filtration systems in our homes, hospitals, hospitals and more. Schooland nursing homeand clean air center Help those who have nowhere to breathe healthy air. at the same time, respirator The federal government is currently testing it with wildland firefighters. We also need to take steps to reduce wildfire risk and intensity, such as prescribed burning, to reduce smoke pollution at its source.

Here are some of the biggest developments scientists are learning about wildfire smoke in 2024:

New estimate predicts 125 million Americans will face unhealthy air from wildfires by 2054

Wildfire smoke has erased Air quality has improved in recent years and this trend is expected to continue. According to statistics, millions of people will be exposed to unhealthy air in the coming years model Released in February by the First Street Foundation. It is estimated that by 2054, more than 125 million Americans will be exposed annually to “red” air quality, which is considered red. bad A 50% increase from 2024.

Smoke can hamper fertility treatments

Fires that broke out over the 2020 Labor Day weekend blanketed Oregon, affecting parts of the state. Worst air quality in the world at that time. These ten days or so of smoky air have affected everyone, especially patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University studied 69 patients who underwent ovarian stimulation and IVF treatments within six weeks of wildfires. Their research was published in the journal Fertility and infertility in May, established Patients exposed to wildfire smoke produced fewer blastocysts (clusters of cells that can develop into embryos) than patients not exposed to wildfire smoke. Most patients still became pregnant, but the study’s lead author said she was concerned the smoke might interfere with fertility treatments. she told idaho capital sun As an additional precaution, fertility providers may wish to postpone in vitro fertilization or embryo transfer for high-risk patients during periods of poor air quality.

Wildfire smoke kills prematurely

Thousands more people are dying from wildfire smoke than previously thought, according to a UCLA study. new Research Research published in June in the journal Science Advances found that fine aerosols in smog caused 52,500 to 55,700 premature deaths in California from 2008 to 2018. According to the authors, this is the first long-term study to assess the toll from years of increasing exposure to wildfire smoke in a state that, like other Western states, has seen more frequent and severe wildfires.

Exposure to smoke adversely affects adolescents’ mental health

Researchers are at University of Colorado Boulder Wildfire smoke found to increase risk of mental health challenges in teens. this studyThe study, published in September in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, analyzed data from 10,000 prepubescent children participating in the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States, according to the university. For every additional day a child was exposed to “unsafe” air quality readings in 2016, they were more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, even a year later.

Years of firefighting may lead to neurodegenerative disease

Of course, lab rats are not people. But in controlled settings, they can provide useful insights into human health consequences. Researchers exposed rats to amounts of smoke equivalent to what wildland firefighters breathe over a 15- to 30-year career established They were more likely to develop brain disease than unexposed mice. The animals’ genetic profiles fit a pattern showing this long-term damage is similar to the effects of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Lead author Adam Schuller said that although researchers cannot prove that smoke is a direct cause of the increased risk of disease boise state public radio Wildland firefighters need to be aware of the effects a long firefighting career can have on the human brain.

Wildfire smoke linked to dementia

Breathing in particulate matter from air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of dementia. Researchers say wildfire smoke may now pose a greater risk than other sources of pollution. Analysis of more than 1.2 million people in Southern California established Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke (three years in this study) is associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. According to the study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, every microgram per cubic meter increase in wildfire pollution over three years was associated with an 18 percent increase in the odds of a dementia diagnosis, a relatively small increase. for CompareAccording to statistics, the average exposure to PM 2.5 in census tracts near the Camp Fire in California in 2018 was 1.2 micrograms per cubic meter between 2006 and 2020, and spiked to 310 micrograms per cubic meter during the actual fire.