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The more researchers learn about wildfire smoke, the more worrying the picture becomes. Smoke contains microscopic particles called PM 2.5 Because PM (particulate matter) measures 2.5 microns or less – small enough to easily enter our lungs and then into our bloodstream. Researchers have already linked high levels of particles present in wildfire smoke risk Stroke, heart disease, respiratory disease, lung cancer, and other serious conditions.
And the harmful effects don't stop there. 2024 was a banner year for research on wildfire smoke and its effects on health, from brain functioning to fertility. Although there is still much to be learned, wildfire smoke is thought to be particularly deadly Compare For other sources of air pollution; Its small particle size, intermittent spikes, and high concentration of inflammatory compounds make it more Dangerous,
This year's new findings are disturbing. But the more we learn about smoke, the better we can protect ourselves from it, whether we live hundreds of miles away from a fire or face it head-on like wildland firefighters do. The research emphasizes the need for certain changes in our homes, hospitals including better indoor air filtration systems. schoolsAnd private hospitalAnd Clean Air Center For those who have no where else to breathe healthy air. During this time, respirator Currently being tested by the federal government for wildland firefighters. We also need to reduce smoke pollution at the source by taking measures to reduce the risk and intensity of wildfires, such as prescribed burning.
Here are some of the biggest advances in scientists' understanding of wildfire smoke in 2024:
New estimates say 125 million Americans could be exposed to unhealthy air from wildfires by 2054
there is forest fire smoke erased Air quality has improved in recent years, a trend that is expected to continue. According to this, millions more 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 each year will be exposed to “red” air quality, considered a Sick Level by the Environmental Protection Agency – a 50 percent increase by 2024. According to the study, California's Central Valley will see the worst conditions, with Fresno and Tulare counties experiencing unhealthy air three months a year.
Smoke may interfere with fertility treatments
Wildfires engulfed some of Oregon over Labor Day weekend in 2020 worst air quality In the world at that time. Those 10 or more days of smoky air affected everyone, especially patients undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment or IVF. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University studied 69 patients who received ovarian stimulation and IVF treatment in the six weeks following the wildfire. Their study, published in the journal fertility and infertility in may, found Patients exposed to wildfire smoke produced fewer blastocysts—clusters of cells that can develop into embryos—than those exposed to wildfire smoke. Most patients still got pregnant, but the study's lead author said she was concerned about how smoking might affect fertility treatments. he told idaho capital sun As an additional precaution, fertility providers may want to delay IVF or embryo transfer for high-risk patients during poor air quality.
Wildfire smoke is killing people prematurely
Thousands more people have died due to wildfire smoke than ever before, according to a study by the University of California, Los Angeles. New Research The report, published in the journal Science Advances in June, found that fine particles in smoke caused 52,500 to 55,700 premature deaths in California from 2008 to 2018. According to its authors, it is the first long-term study to assess deaths caused by increased exposure over years of wildfire smoke in the state, which, like other Western states, is seeing more frequent and more severe wildfires. Is.
Exposure to smoking is harmful to teens' mental health
researchers of University of Colorado Boulder Wildfire smoke exposure was found to increase the risk of mental health challenges in teens. StudyThe study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in September, analyzed data from 10,000 preteens participating in the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States, according to the university. Each additional day in 2016 that children were exposed to “unsafe” air quality readings increased the likelihood that they would experience symptoms of depression and anxiety — even a year later.
Years of extinguishing fires may lead to neurodegenerative diseases
Of course, lab rats are not humans. But in a controlled setting, they may provide useful insights into human health outcomes. Researchers exposed rats to smoke equivalent to that of a wildland firefighter over a 15 to 30-year career. found They were more likely to develop brain disease than mice that were not exposed. The animals' gene profiles fit a pattern that suggests long-term damage similar to the effects of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Lead author Adam Schuler said that although researchers could not prove that smoke was a direct cause of the increased risk of disease, Boise State Public Radio Wildland firefighters need to be aware of the effects a long career in firefighting can have on the human brain.
Wildfire smoke linked to dementia
Breathing in the tiny particles present in air pollution already increases the risk of dementia. Now, researchers say, wildfire smoke may pose an even greater threat than other pollution sources. Analysis of more than 1.2 million people in Southern California found In this study, exposure to wildfire smoke over a long period of time – three years – increased the risk of a dementia diagnosis. According to the study published in the journal JAMA Neurology, the likelihood of a dementia diagnosis increased by 18 percent for each microgram per cubic meter increase in wildfire pollution over three years, which is a relatively small amount. For CompareThe average PM 2.5 exposure for a census tract near the 2018 Camp Fire in California was 1.2 micrograms per cubic meter between 2006 and 2020, reaching exposures of 310 micrograms per cubic meter during the actual fire.