On the heels of a remarkably fiery and smoky summer, two newly released reports on Wednesday confirmed the visible and respiratory experiences of many Americans.
Smoke from increasingly frequent and larger fires is undoing decades of air quality progress, and this issue is projected to worsen not only in the United States but also globally.
According to a report by Australian researchers, over two billion people worldwide were exposed to fire-related air pollution for at least one day each year between 2010 and 2019. Additionally, wildfires in the U.S. have eroded 25 percent of previous air pollution cleanup efforts spanning across states from coast to coast.
“People have been aware that this is becoming a greater issue in Western states,” stated Marissa Childs, a fellow at Harvard University’s Center for the Environment and co-author of the U.S. study. “However, I was genuinely surprised to see that states as far as the East Coast are being affected.
While Dr. Childs’ study does not include data from 2023, she emphasized that this year’s wildfires in Canada and subsequent smoke have demonstrated, more than ever, that the wildfire issue will impact everyone, regardless of where they live.
The worsening wildfires worldwide can largely be attributed to climate change. As global temperatures increase, forests and natural ecosystems become drier and more susceptible to fire. “It’s evident that something has changed in the last decade,” said Marshall Burke, a professor at Stanford University and co-author of the U.S. study. “There’s no need to manipulate the data.”
These two studies highlight the escalating health risks posed by wildfires. Wildfire smoke contains various pollutants, including fine particulate matter known as PM 2.5, a type of air pollution composed of tiny particles that can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream.
Although the Clean Air Act has generally improved air pollution in the U.S. since the 1970s, levels of PM 2.5, which were declining, surged around 2016.
Dr. Burke and Dr. Childs’ study revealed a statistically significant impact of wildfire smoke on PM 2.5 levels in 35 out of 48 continental U.S. states since 2016 (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). The most significant impact was observed on the West Coast, which has experienced a drastic decline in air quality in recent years. Even some New England states saw smoke-induced pollution levels plateau after years of improvement.
Although the U.S. enjoys cleaner air than many other parts of the world, air pollution remains a public health concern. “It’s evident that wildfire smoke is affecting more people on more days than before,” said Christopher Tessum, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign specializing in air pollution.
Globally, poorer countries bear a greater burden of pollution from fires.
According to the Australian-led study conducted by Monash University, each person worldwide experienced an average of nearly 10 days of wildfire smoke exposure annually between 2010 and 2019. The concentration of polluted air was notably higher in low-income countries.
The data also revealed an increase in smoke exposure during this period compared to the prior decade, emphasizing the prevalence and health risks associated with wildfires.
“We need to allocate more resources to low-income countries to combat the impact of fire smoke,” said Yuming Guo, an environmental expert at Monash University. He co-authored the study, which incorporated data from both wildfires and controlled burns. The researchers collected pollution data from various sources and examined ground-level ozone levels in addition to PM 2.5 levels. While ozone in the upper atmosphere protects against radiation, ground-level ozone can cause respiratory issues and worsen conditions like asthma and bronchitis.
Countries susceptible to wildfires, such as those in central Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America, experienced significant levels of PM 2.5 pollution.
“Different countries face different fire smoke,” explained Dr. Guo. “Hence, different resources should be deployed.”
Determining the appropriate approaches will be complex.
“We cannot address wildfires in the same way we tackle industrial pollution or car emissions,” said Colleen Reid, a geography professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who specializes in the health impacts of wildfires. Although not involved in either study, she stressed the importance of investing in indoor air quality to protect public health. Dr. Reid also highlighted the crucial need to address climate change.
“Apart from implementing policies to address wildfire smoke, it is evident that significant changes are required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Dr. Reid emphasized. “This will help manage the increasing risk of wildfires caused by climate change.”
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