When the Smoke Clears: Examining the Long-Term Health Effects of Wildfire Exposure

A study on the trends and disparities in ambient and wildfire PM2.5-related cardiorespiratory health burden in California between 2005 and 2016. The study demonstrated that while the overall PM2.5 concentrations decreased, wildfire-related PM2.5 showed significant year-to-year variability, with smoke exposure highest in 2008 and 2016. Wildfire smoke accounted for approximately 5-6% of the morbidity attributable to PM2.5 from any source, and in 2008, smoke-related PM2.5 accounted for approximately 15% of PM2.5-attributable morbidity. The study has implications beyond California, as smoke from wildfires can travel across states and even across countries. The authors found that older individuals, those living in rural areas, and Asian and Native American individuals were at higher risk for morbidity from PM2.5 of any source and the changing landscape of wildfire-related PM2.5. The article notes several limitations of the study, including the use of satellite measurements to model PM2.5 concentrations and the focus on PM2.5 rather than other nonparticulate air pollutants produced by wildfires associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The article also discusses potential interventions to combat the public health problem of wildfire-related air pollution, including prescribed burns and prevention of wildfires resulting from human activity.