1
|
Jaffe DA, O’Neill SM, Larkin NK, Holder AL, Peterson DL, Halofsky JE, Rappold AG. Wildfire and prescribed burning impacts on air quality in the United States. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2020; 70:583-615. [PMID: 32240055 PMCID: PMC7932990 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2020.1749731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Air quality impacts from wildfires have been dramatic in recent years, with millions of people exposed to elevated and sometimes hazardous fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations for extended periods. Fires emit particulate matter (PM) and gaseous compounds that can negatively impact human health and reduce visibility. While the overall trend in U.S. air quality has been improving for decades, largely due to implementation of the Clean Air Act, seasonal wildfires threaten to undo this in some regions of the United States. Our understanding of the health effects of smoke is growing with regard to respiratory and cardiovascular consequences and mortality. The costs of these health outcomes can exceed the billions already spent on wildfire suppression. In this critical review, we examine each of the processes that influence wildland fires and the effects of fires, including the natural role of wildland fire, forest management, ignitions, emissions, transport, chemistry, and human health impacts. We highlight key data gaps and examine the complexity and scope and scale of fire occurrence, estimated emissions, and resulting effects on regional air quality across the United States. The goal is to clarify which areas are well understood and which need more study. We conclude with a set of recommendations for future research. IMPLICATIONS In the recent decade the area of wildfires in the United States has increased dramatically and the resulting smoke has exposed millions of people to unhealthy air quality. In this critical review we examine the key factors and impacts from fires including natural role of wildland fire, forest management, ignitions, emissions, transport, chemistry and human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A. Jaffe
- School of STEM and Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Amara L. Holder
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - David L. Peterson
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Jessica E. Halofsky
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington Seattle, Seattle WA, USA
| | - Ana G. Rappold
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Lab, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sorooshian A, Corral AF, Braun RA, Cairns B, Crosbie E, Ferrare R, Hair J, Kleb MM, Mardi AH, Maring H, McComiskey A, Moore R, Painemal D, Jo Scarino A, Schlosser J, Shingler T, Shook M, Wang H, Zeng X, Ziemba L, Zuidema P. Atmospheric Research Over the Western North Atlantic Ocean Region and North American East Coast: A Review of Past Work and Challenges Ahead. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2020; 125:10.1029/2019jd031626. [PMID: 32699733 PMCID: PMC7375207 DOI: 10.1029/2019jd031626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Decades of atmospheric research have focused on the Western North Atlantic Ocean (WNAO) region because of its unique location that offers accessibility for airborne and ship measurements, gradients in important atmospheric parameters, and a range of meteorological regimes leading to diverse conditions that are poorly understood. This work reviews these scientific investigations for the WNAO region, including the East Coast of North America and the island of Bermuda. Over 50 field campaigns and long-term monitoring programs, in addition to 715 peer-reviewed publications between 1946 and 2019 have provided a firm foundation of knowledge for these areas. Of particular importance in this region has been extensive work at the island of Bermuda that is host to important time series records of oceanic and atmospheric variables. Our review categorizes WNAO atmospheric research into eight major categories, with some studies fitting into multiple categories (relative %): Aerosols (25%), Gases (24%), Development/Validation of Techniques, Models, and Retrievals (18%), Meteorology and Transport (9%), Air-Sea Interactions (8%), Clouds/Storms (8%), Atmospheric Deposition (7%), and Aerosol-Cloud Interactions (2%). Recommendations for future research are provided in the categories highlighted above.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armin Sorooshian
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Andrea F. Corral
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Rachel A. Braun
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Brian Cairns
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY
| | - Ewan Crosbie
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA
| | | | | | | | - Ali Hossein Mardi
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | | | | | | | - David Painemal
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA
| | - Amy Jo Scarino
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Hampton, VA
| | - Joseph Schlosser
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | | | | | - Hailong Wang
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
| | - Xubin Zeng
- Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | | | - Paquita Zuidema
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL
| |
Collapse
|