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Maji KJ, Ford B, Li Z, Hu Y, Hu L, Langer CE, Hawkinson C, Paladugu S, Moraga-McHaley S, Woods B, Vansickle M, Uejio CK, Maichak C, Sablan O, Magzamen S, Pierce JR, Russell AG. Impact of the 2022 New Mexico, US wildfires on air quality and health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174197. [PMID: 38914336 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
The 2022 wildfires in New Mexico, United States, were unparalleled compared to past wildfires in the state in both their scale and intensity, resulting in poor air quality and a catastrophic loss of habitat and livelihood. Among all wildfires in New Mexico in 2022, six wildfires were selected for our study based on the size of the burn area and their proximity to populated areas. These fires accounted for approximately 90 % of the total burn area in New Mexico in 2022. We used a regional chemical transport model and data-fusion technique to quantify the contribution of these six wildfires (April 6 to August 22) on particulate matter (PM2.5: diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and ozone (O3) concentrations, as well as the associated health impacts from short-term exposure. We estimated that these six wildfires emitted 152 thousand tons of PM2.5 and 287 thousand tons of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere. We estimated that the average daily wildfire smoke PM2.5 across New Mexico was 0.3 μg/m3, though 1 h maximum exceeded 120 μg/m3 near Santa Fe. Average wildfire smoke maximum daily average 8-h O3 (MDA8-O3) contribution was 0.2 ppb during the study period over New Mexico. However, over the state 1 h maximum smoke O3 exceeded 60 ppb in some locations near Santa Fe. Estimated all-cause excess mortality attributable to short term exposure to wildfire PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 from these six wildfires were 18 (95 % Confidence Interval (CI), 15-21) and 4 (95 % CI: 3-6) deaths. Additionally, we estimate that wildfire PM2.5 was responsible for 171 (95 %: 124-217) excess cases of asthma emergency department visits. Our findings underscore the impact of wildfires on air quality and human health risks, which are anticipated to intensify with global warming, even as local anthropogenic emissions decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal J Maji
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bonne Ford
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Zongrun Li
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yongtao Hu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Leiqiu Hu
- Department of Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Chelsea Eastman Langer
- New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Colin Hawkinson
- New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Srikanth Paladugu
- New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Stephanie Moraga-McHaley
- New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Brian Woods
- New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking, Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau, Epidemiology and Response Division, New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Melissa Vansickle
- Department of Geography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Courtney Maichak
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Olivia Sablan
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sheryl Magzamen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Armistead G Russell
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Mullan K, Avery T, Boise P, Leary CS, Rice WL, Semmens EO. Impacts of wildfire-season air quality on park and playground visitation in the Northwest United States. ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS 2024; 224:108285. [PMID: 39005240 PMCID: PMC11238847 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
A significant cost of wildfires is the exposure of local and regional populations to air pollution from smoke, which can travel hundreds of miles from the source fire and is associated with significant negative health consequences. Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity in the United States, driven by historic fire management approaches and global climate change. These influences will take many decades or longer to reverse, so the main opportunities for mitigating health effects involve minimizing human exposure through changes in behavior or infrastructure. One key recommendation for reducing pollution exposures during wildfire smoke events is to limit time and physical activity outdoors, but there is limited evidence on the extent to which people make this change. We estimate how use of parks and playgrounds changes with air quality during wildfire season in the northwest United States. We find small reductions in park and playground visits on moderately polluted days, and large reductions, to 50-60% of baseline visits, when pollution levels are high. Disaggregating results by neighborhood characteristics, we find a significantly greater behavioral response to moderate levels of air pollution in neighborhoods with higher socio-economic status, although responses to high levels of pollution are similar across neighborhood types.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Cindy S Leary
- Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana
| | - William L Rice
- Department of Society and Conservation, University of Montana
| | - Erin O Semmens
- School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana
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Soriano Ynfante R, Falkowski TB, Stricker E, Céspedes B. Biochar production in northern New Mexico: Identifying challenges and opportunities. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 367:122072. [PMID: 39111013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Thinning woody biomass to reduce wildfire risk has become a common forest management prescription throughout the Intermountain West. Converting the resulting slash into biochar, a carbon-rich soil amendment, could help mitigate some of the shortcomings of other fuel treatments, but land managers in the western United States have not widely adopted biochar, despite its potential benefits and new government incentives. Thus, we investigated the often under-studied sociocultural, economic, and biophysical barriers to biochar production and identified important factors to inform future outreach efforts that will help to expand biochar production from thinning slash in northern New Mexico. We distributed surveys and conducted interviews with land managers and personnel working in environment conservation organizations who work with land managers throughout northern New Mexico. We found that 65% of participants (n = 60) were familiar with biochar, and 13% already produced biochar. Participants identified improving soil and reducing forest fuel loads as the main benefits of biochar. The most prevalent barriers to adopting biochar were insufficient knowledge about biochar production and its application and concerns about production costs. Given land manager preferences, outreach efforts to encourage biochar adoption should focus on hands-on informational activities. Barriers and preferred outreach methods varied by participant race and familiarity with biochar. With appropriate training to empower land managers, biochar can provide environmental and community benefits by the sustainable conversion of forest residues into a soil enhancement product that would be beneficial to northern New Mexico's dry, high wildfire risk context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Soriano Ynfante
- Department of Forestry, New Mexico Highlands University, 905 Baca Ave, Las Vegas, NM, 87701, USA.
| | - Tomasz B Falkowski
- Department of Forestry, New Mexico Highlands University, 905 Baca Ave, Las Vegas, NM, 87701, USA
| | - Eva Stricker
- Quivira Coalition, 1413 2nd St Ste 1, Santa Fe, NM, 87505, USA
| | - Blanca Céspedes
- Department of Forestry, New Mexico Highlands University, 905 Baca Ave, Las Vegas, NM, 87701, USA
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Smith JE, Billmire M, French NHF, Domke GM. Application of the wildland fire emissions inventory system to estimate fire emissions on forest lands of the United States. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 19:26. [PMID: 39143325 PMCID: PMC11325709 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-024-00274-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Forests are significant terrestrial biomes for carbon storage, and annual carbon accumulation of forest biomass contributes offsets affecting net greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The immediate loss of stored carbon through fire on forest lands reduces the annual offsets provided by forests. As such, the United States reporting includes annual estimates of direct fire emissions in conjunction with the overall forest stock and change estimates as a part of national greenhouse gas inventories within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Forest fire emissions reported for the United States, such as the 129 Tg CO2 reported for 2022, are based on the Wildland Fire Emissions Inventory System (WFEIS). Current WFEIS estimates are included in the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022 published in 2024 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Here, we describe WFEIS the fire emissions inventory system we used to address current information needs, and an analysis to confirm compatibility of carbon mass between estimated forest fire emissions and carbon in forest stocks. RESULTS The summaries of emissions from forests are consistent with previous reports that show rates and interannual variability in emissions and forest land area burned are generally greater in recent years relative to the 1990s. Both emissions and interannual variability are greater in the western United States. The years with the highest CO2 emissions from forest fires on the 48 conterminous states plus Alaska were 2004, 2005, and 2015. In some years, Alaska emissions exceed those of the 48 conterminous states, such as in 2022, for example. Comparison of forest fire emission to forest carbon stocks indicate there is unlikely any serious disconnect between inventory and fire emissions estimates. CONCLUSIONS The WFEIS system is a user-driven approach made available via a web browser. Model results are compatible with the scope and reporting needs of the annual national greenhouse gas inventories.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Smith
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 271 Mast Road, Durham, NH, 03824, USA.
| | - Michael Billmire
- Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Ct., Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA
| | - Nancy H F French
- Michigan Technological University, Michigan Tech Research Institute, 3600 Green Ct., Suite 100, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA
| | - Grant M Domke
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 1992 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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Baldwin AK, Willacker JJ, Johnson BL, Janssen SE, Eagles-Smith CA. Wildfires Influence Mercury Transport, Methylation, and Bioaccumulation in Headwater Streams of the Pacific Northwest. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:14396-14409. [PMID: 39078944 PMCID: PMC11325654 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires are among the most visible impacts of climate change. However, the effects of wildfires on mercury (Hg) transformations and bioaccumulation in stream ecosystems are poorly understood. We sampled soils, water, sediment, in-stream leaf litter, periphyton, and aquatic invertebrates in 36 burned (one-year post fire) and 21 reference headwater streams across the northwestern U.S. to evaluate the effects of wildfire occurrence and severity on total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) transport and bioaccumulation. Suspended particulate THg and MeHg concentrations were 89 and 178% greater in burned watersheds compared to unburned watersheds and increased with burn severity, likely associated with increased soil erosion. Concentrations of filter-passing THg were similar in burned and unburned watersheds, but filter-passing MeHg was 51% greater in burned watersheds, and suspended particles in burned watersheds were enriched in MeHg but not THg, suggesting higher MeHg production in burned watersheds. Among invertebrates, MeHg in grazers, filter-feeders, and collectors was 33, 48, and 251% greater in burned watersheds, respectively, but did not differ in shredders or predators. Thus, increasing wildfire frequency and severity may yield increased MeHg production, mobilization, and bioaccumulation in headwaters and increased transport of particulate THg and MeHg to downstream environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin K Baldwin
- US Geological Survey, Idaho Water Science Center, Boise, Idaho 83702, United States
| | - James J Willacker
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Branden L Johnson
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Sarah E Janssen
- US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
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Croft DP, Utell MJ, Hopke PK, Liu H, Lin S, Thurston SW, Thandra S, Chen Y, Islam MR, Thevenet-Morrison K, Johnston CJ, Zhao T, Yount C, Rich DQ. Comparison of the rate of healthcare encounters for influenza from source-specific PM 2.5 before and after tier 3 vehicle standards in New York state. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41370-024-00710-w. [PMID: 39127830 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00710-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Influenza healthcare encounters in adults associated with specific sources of PM2.5 is an area of active research. OBJECTIVE Following 2017 legislation requiring reductions in emissions from light-duty vehicles, we hypothesized a reduced rate of influenza healthcare encounters would be associated with concentrations of PM2.5 from traffic sources in the early implementation period of this regulation (2017-2019). METHODS We used the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) to study adult patients hospitalized (N = 5328) or treated in the emergency department (N = 18,247) for influenza in New York State. Using a modified case-crossover design, we estimated the excess rate (ER) of influenza hospitalizations and emergency department visits associated with interquartile range increases in source-specific PM2.5 concentrations (e.g., spark-ignition emissions [GAS], biomass burning [BB], diesel [DIE]) in lag day(s) 0, 0-3 and 0-6. We then evaluated whether ERs differed after Tier 3 implementation (2017-2019) compared to the period prior to implementation (2014-2016). RESULTS Each interquartile range increase in DIE in lag days 0-6 was associated with a 21.3% increased rate of influenza hospitalization (95% CI: 6.9, 37.6) in the 2014-2016 period, and a 6.3% decreased rate (95% CI: -12.7, 0.5) in the 2017-2019 period. The GAS/influenza excess rates were larger in the 2017-2019 period than the 2014-2016 period for emergency department visits. We also observed a larger ER associated with increased BB in the 2017-2019 period compared to the 2014-2016 period. IMPACT STATEMENT We present an accountability study on the impact of the early implementation period of the Tier 3 vehicle emission standards on the association between specific sources of PM2.5 air pollution on influenza healthcare encounters in New York State. We found that the association between gasoline emissions and influenza healthcare encounters did not lessen in magnitude between periods, possibly because the emissions standards were not yet fully implemented. The reduction in the rates of influenza healthcare encounters associated with diesel emissions may be reflective of past policies to reduce the toxicity of diesel emissions. Accountability studies can help policy makers and environmental scientists better understand the timing of pollution changes and associated health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Croft
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Mark J Utell
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, USA
| | - Han Liu
- Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Shao Lin
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences. University at Albany, the State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Sally W Thurston
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Sathvik Thandra
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences. University at Albany, the State University of New York, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Yunle Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Md Rayhanul Islam
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Kelly Thevenet-Morrison
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Carl J Johnston
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Tianming Zhao
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Catherine Yount
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - David Q Rich
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Division, Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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Ng M, Gerstorf D, Conroy DE, Pincus AL, Ram N. Affective Sensitivity to Air Pollution (ASAP): Person-specific associations between daily air pollution and affective states. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307430. [PMID: 39110667 PMCID: PMC11305556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals' sensitivity to climate hazards is a central component of their vulnerability to climate change. In this paper, we introduce and outline the utility of a new intraindividual variability construct, affective sensitivity to air pollution (ASAP)-defined as the extent to which an individual's affective states fluctuate in accordance with daily changes in air quality. As such, ASAP pushes beyond examination of differences in individuals' exposures to air pollution to examination of differences in individuals' sensitivities to air pollution. Building on known associations between air pollution exposure and adverse mental health outcomes, we empirically illustrate how application of Bayesian multilevel models to intensive repeated measures data obtained in an experience sampling study (N = 150) over one year can be used to examine whether and how individuals' daily affective states fluctuate with the daily concentrations of outdoor air pollution in their county. Results indicate construct viability, as we found substantial interindividual differences in ASAP for both affect arousal and affect valence. This suggests that repeated measures of individuals' day-to-day affect provides a new way of measuring their sensitivity to climate change. In addition to contributing to discourse around climate vulnerability, the intraindividual variability construct and methodology proposed here can help better integrate affect and mental health in climate adaptation policies, plans, and programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Ng
- Department of Communication, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) at German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Berlin, Germany
| | - David E. Conroy
- Department of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Aaron L. Pincus
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Nilàm Ram
- Department of Communication, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
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Yu H, Wang Y, Puthussery JV, Verma V. Sources of acellular oxidative potential of water-soluble fine ambient particulate matter in the midwestern United States. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 474:134763. [PMID: 38843639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with numerous health complications, yet the specific PM2.5 chemical components and their emission sources contributing to these health outcomes are understudied. Our study analyzes the chemical composition of PM2.5 collected from five distinct locations at urban, roadside and rural environments in midwestern region of the United States, and associates them with five acellular oxidative potential (OP) endpoints of water-soluble PM2.5. Redox-active metals (i.e., Cu, Fe, and Mn) and carbonaceous species were correlated with most OP endpoints, suggesting their significant role in OP. We conducted a source apportionment analysis using positive matrix factorization (PMF) and found a strong disparity in the contribution of various emission sources to PM2.5 mass vs. OP. Regional secondary sources and combustion-related aerosols contributed significantly (> 75 % in total) to PM2.5 mass, but showed weaker contribution (43-69 %) to OP. Local sources such as parking emissions, industrial emissions, and agricultural activities, though accounting marginally to PM2.5 mass (< 10 % for each), significantly contributed to various OP endpoints (10-50 %). Our results demonstrate that the sources contributing to PM2.5 mass and health effects are not necessarily same, emphasizing the need for an improved air quality management strategy utilizing more health-relevant PM2.5 indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 9211 116th St, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Yixiang Wang
- College of Health, Lehigh University, 124 E Morton St, Bethlehem, PA 18015, United States; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Joseph V Puthussery
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, United States; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States
| | - Vishal Verma
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, United States.
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Hertelendy AJ, Howard C, Sorensen C, Ranse J, Eboreime E, Henderson S, Tochkin J, Ciottone G. Seasons of smoke and fire: preparing health systems for improved performance before, during, and after wildfires. Lancet Planet Health 2024; 8:e588-e602. [PMID: 39122327 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(24)00144-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Increased frequency, intensity, and duration of wildfires are intensifying exposure to direct and smoke-related hazards in many areas, leading to evacuation and smoke-related effects on health and health systems that can affect regions extending over thousands of kilometres. Effective preparation and response are currently hampered by inadequate training, continued siloing of disciplines, insufficient finance, and inadequate coordination between health systems and governance at municipal, regional, national, and international levels. This Review highlights the key health and health systems considerations before, during, and after wildfires, and outlines how a health system should respond to optimise population health outcomes now and into the future. The focus is on the implications of wildfires for air quality, mental health, and emergency management, with elements of international policy and finance also addressed. We discuss commonalities of existing climate-resilient health care and disaster management frameworks and integrate them into an approach that addresses issues of financing, leadership and governance, health workforce, health information systems, infrastructure, supply chain, technologies, community interaction and health-care delivery, before, during, and after a wildfire season. This Review is a practical briefing for leaders and health professionals facing severe wildfire seasons and a call to break down silos and join with other disciplines to proactively plan for and fund innovation and coordination in service of a healthier future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila J Hertelendy
- Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, College of Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Courtney Howard
- Cummings School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, ON, Canada
| | - Cecilia Sorensen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jamie Ranse
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Ejemai Eboreime
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sarah Henderson
- Environmental Health Services, BC Center for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Tochkin
- School of Health Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Health Emergency Management, Vernon, BC, Canada
| | - Gregory Ciottone
- Disaster Medicine Fellowship, Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Cravens AE, Clifford KR, Knapp C, Travis WR. The dynamic feasibility of resisting (R), accepting (A), or directing (D) ecological change. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14331. [PMID: 39016709 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Ecological transformations are occurring as a result of climate change, challenging traditional approaches to land management decision-making. The resist-accept-direct (RAD) framework helps managers consider how to respond to this challenge. We examined how the feasibility of the choices to resist, accept, and direct shifts in complex and dynamic ways through time. We considered 4 distinct types of social feasibility: regulatory, financial, public, and organizational. Our commentary is grounded in literature review and the examples that exist but necessarily has speculative elements because empirical evidence on this newly emerging management strategy is scarce. We expect that resist strategies will become less feasible over time as managers encounter situations where resisting is ecologically, by regulation, financially, or publicly not feasible. Similarly, we expect that as regulatory frameworks increasingly permit their use, if costs decrease, and if the public accepts them, managers will increasingly view accept and direct strategies as more viable options than they do at present. Exploring multiple types of feasibility over time allows consideration of both social and ecological trajectories of change in tandem. Our theorizing suggested that deepening the time horizon of decision-making allows one to think carefully about when one should adopt different approaches and how to combine them over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E Cravens
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Katherine R Clifford
- Western Water Assessment, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Corrine Knapp
- Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - William R Travis
- Department of Geography and North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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11
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Maji K, Li Z, Vaidyanathan A, Hu Y, Stowell JD, Milando C, Wellenius G, Kinney PL, Russell AG, Odman MT. Estimated Impacts of Prescribed Fires on Air Quality and Premature Deaths in Georgia and Surrounding Areas in the US, 2015-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12343-12355. [PMID: 38943591 PMCID: PMC11256750 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Smoke from wildfires poses a substantial threat to health in communities near and far. To mitigate the extent and potential damage of wildfires, prescribed burning techniques are commonly employed as land management tools; however, they introduce their own smoke-related risks. This study investigates the impact of prescribed fires on daily average PM2.5 and maximum daily 8-h averaged O3 (MDA8-O3) concentrations and estimates premature deaths associated with short-term exposure to prescribed fire PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 in Georgia and surrounding areas of the Southeastern US from 2015 to 2020. Our findings indicate that over the study domain, prescribed fire contributes to average daily PM2.5 by 0.94 ± 1.45 μg/m3 (mean ± standard deviation), accounting for 14.0% of year-round ambient PM2.5. Higher average daily contributions were predicted during the extensive burning season (January-April): 1.43 ± 1.97 μg/m3 (20.0% of ambient PM2.5). Additionally, prescribed burning is also responsible for an annual average increase of 0.36 ± 0.61 ppb in MDA8-O3 (approximately 0.8% of ambient MDA8-O3) and 1.3% (0.62 ± 0.88 ppb) during the extensive burning season. We estimate that short-term exposure to prescribed fire PM2.5 and MDA8-O3 could have caused 2665 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2249-3080) and 233 (95% CI: 148-317) excess deaths, respectively. These results suggest that smoke from prescribed burns increases the mortality. However, refraining from such burns may escalate the risk of wildfires; therefore, the trade-offs between the health impacts of wildfires and prescribed fires, including morbidity, need to be taken into consideration in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal
J. Maji
- School
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Zongrun Li
- School
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Ambarish Vaidyanathan
- School
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
- National
Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, United States
| | - Yongtao Hu
- School
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Jennifer D. Stowell
- School
of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, United States
| | - Chad Milando
- School
of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, United States
| | - Gregory Wellenius
- School
of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, United States
| | - Patrick L. Kinney
- School
of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, United States
| | - Armistead G. Russell
- School
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - M. Talat Odman
- School
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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12
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Fadadu RP, Solomon G, Balmes JR. Wildfires and Human Health. JAMA 2024:2821142. [PMID: 38985542 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.13600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
This JAMA Insights explores the adverse effects of wildfires on human health and health care systems and offers suggestions on how clinicians can help mitigate the health threats posed by wildfires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj P Fadadu
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego
| | - Gina Solomon
- Division of Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - John R Balmes
- Division of Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley
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13
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Farmer DK, Vance ME, Poppendieck D, Abbatt J, Alves MR, Dannemiller KC, Deeleepojananan C, Ditto J, Dougherty B, Farinas OR, Goldstein AH, Grassian VH, Huynh H, Kim D, King JC, Kroll J, Li J, Link MF, Mael L, Mayer K, Martin AB, Morrison G, O'Brien R, Pandit S, Turpin BJ, Webb M, Yu J, Zimmerman SM. The chemical assessment of surfaces and air (CASA) study: using chemical and physical perturbations in a test house to investigate indoor processes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2024. [PMID: 38953218 DOI: 10.1039/d4em00209a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The Chemical Assessment of Surfaces and Air (CASA) study aimed to understand how chemicals transform in the indoor environment using perturbations (e.g., cooking, cleaning) or additions of indoor and outdoor pollutants in a well-controlled test house. Chemical additions ranged from individual compounds (e.g., gaseous ammonia or ozone) to more complex mixtures (e.g., a wildfire smoke proxy and a commercial pesticide). Physical perturbations included varying temperature, ventilation rates, and relative humidity. The objectives for CASA included understanding (i) how outdoor air pollution impacts indoor air chemistry, (ii) how wildfire smoke transports and transforms indoors, (iii) how gases and particles interact with building surfaces, and (iv) how indoor environmental conditions impact indoor chemistry. Further, the combined measurements under unperturbed and experimental conditions enable investigation of mitigation strategies following outdoor and indoor air pollution events. A comprehensive suite of instruments measured different chemical components in the gas, particle, and surface phases throughout the study. We provide an overview of the test house, instrumentation, experimental design, and initial observations - including the role of humidity in controlling the air concentrations of many semi-volatile organic compounds, the potential for ozone to generate indoor nitrogen pentoxide (N2O5), the differences in microbial composition between the test house and other occupied buildings, and the complexity of deposited particles and gases on different indoor surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine K Farmer
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Marina E Vance
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | | | - Jon Abbatt
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael R Alves
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karen C Dannemiller
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Sustainability Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Jenna Ditto
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Brian Dougherty
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Olivia R Farinas
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Allen H Goldstein
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vicki H Grassian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Han Huynh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Deborah Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jon C King
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jesse Kroll
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jienan Li
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Michael F Link
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Liora Mael
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Kathryn Mayer
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - Andrew B Martin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Glenn Morrison
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rachel O'Brien
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shubhrangshu Pandit
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Barbara J Turpin
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Marc Webb
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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14
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Kim NR, Lee HJ. Ambient PM 2.5 exposure and rapid population aging: A double threat to public health in the Republic of Korea. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:119032. [PMID: 38685298 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) can infiltrate deep into the respiratory system, posing significant health risks. Notably, the health burden of PM2.5 is more pronounced among the older adult population. With an aging population, the public health burden attributable to PM2.5 could escalate even if the current PM2.5 level remains stable. This study evaluated the number of deaths attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure in the Republic of Korea between 2020 and 2050 and identified the PM2.5 concentration required at least to maintain the current PM2.5 health burden. To calculate mortality for 2020-2050, we performed a health impact assessment using 3-year (2019-2021) average population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations, age-specific population and mortality rates. In 2020, 33,578 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 31,708-35,448] deaths were attributable to PM2.5 exposure. Projecting forward, if the 2019-2021 average PM2.5 level remains constant, mortality is projected to be 112,953 (95% CI = 109,963-115,943) in 2050, more than three times higher than in 2020. To maintain the same level of health burden in 2050 as in 2020, the PM2.5 concentration needs to be immediately reduced to 5.8 μg/m3. In an age-specific analysis, the proportion of older adults (ages 65+) to total mortality would increase from 83% (2020) to 96% (2050), indicating that the rising mortality is predominantly driven by the aging population. By region, the reduction of PM2.5 concentrations, which is required immediately in 2020 to have the health burden in 2050 equal to that in 2020, varied from 3.6 μg/m3 in Goheung-gun (25% reduction) to 20.8 μg/m3 in Heungdeok-gu (82% reduction). Our study emphasizes the critical need for air quality management to consider aging populations when establishing PM2.5 air quality standards, as well as their associated policies and regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Rae Kim
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea; Research and Management Center for Health Risk of Particulate Matter, Seoul, 02481, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Joo Lee
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea; Research and Management Center for Health Risk of Particulate Matter, Seoul, 02481, Republic of Korea; Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Slavik CE, Chapman DA, Smith H, Coughlan M, Peters E. Motivating parents to protect their children from wildfire smoke: the impact of air quality index infographics. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 6:075001. [PMID: 38974835 PMCID: PMC11223187 DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/ad5931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Background. Wildfire smoke events are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Children are especially vulnerable to health effects even at moderate smoke levels. However, it is unclear how parents respond to Air Quality Indices (AQIs) frequently used by agencies to communicate air pollution health risks. Methods. In an experiment (3 × 2 × 2 factorial design), 2,100 parents were randomly assigned to view one of twelve adapted AQI infographics that varied by visual (table, line, gauge), index type (AQI [0-500], AQHI [1-11+]), and risk level (moderate, high). Participants were told to imagine encountering the infographic in a short-term exposure scenario. They reported worry about wildfire smoke, intentions to take risk-mitigating actions (e.g., air purifier use), and support for various exposure reduction policies. Subsequently, participants were told to imagine encountering the same infographic daily during a school week in a long-term exposure scenario and again reported worry, action intentions, and policy support. Results. Parents' responses significantly differentiated between risk levels that both pose a threat to children's health; worry and action intentions were much higher in the high-risk group than the moderate-risk group in both short-exposure (F = 748.68 p<.001; F = 411.59, p<.001) and long-exposure scenarios (F = 470.51, p<.001; F = 212.01, p<.001). However, in the short-exposure scenario, when shown the AQHI [1-11+] with either the line or gauge visuals, parents' action intentions were more similar between moderate- and high-risk level groups (3-way interaction, F = 6.03, p = .002). Conclusions. These results suggest some index formats such as the AQHI-rather than the AQI-may better attune parents to moderate levels of wildfire smoke being dangerous to children's health. Our research offers insights for agencies and officials seeking to improve current public education efforts during wildfire smoke events and speaks to the critical need to educate parents and help them act short-term and long-term to protect children's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Slavik
- Center for Science Communication Research, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, United States of America
| | - Daniel A Chapman
- Center for Science Communication Research, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, United States of America
| | - Hollie Smith
- Center for Science Communication Research, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, United States of America
| | - Michael Coughlan
- Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments, University of Oregon, United States of America
| | - Ellen Peters
- Center for Science Communication Research, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, United States of America
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16
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González DJ, Morello-Frosch R, Liu Z, Willis MD, Feng Y, McKenzie LM, Steiger BB, Wang J, Deziel NC, Casey JA. Wildfires increasingly threaten oil and gas wells in the western United States with disproportionate impacts on marginalized populations. ONE EARTH (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 7:1044-1055. [PMID: 39036466 PMCID: PMC11259100 DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2024.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
The western United States is home to most of the nation's oil and gas production and, increasingly, wildfires. We examined historical threats of wildfires for oil and gas wells, the extent to which wildfires are projected to threaten wells as climate change progresses, and exposure of human populations to these wells. From 1984-2019, we found that cumulatively 102,882 wells were located in wildfire burn areas, and 348,853 people were exposed (resided ≤ 1 km). During this period, we observed a five-fold increase in the number of wells in wildfire burn areas and a doubling of the population within 1 km of these wells. These trends are projected to increase by late century, likely threatening human health. Approximately 2.9 million people reside within 1 km of wells in areas with high wildfire risk, and Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native American people have disproportionately high exposure to wildfire-threatened wells.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J.X. González
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
- Lead contact
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of America
| | - Zehua Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Mary D. Willis
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Yan Feng
- Environmental Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, United States of America
| | - Lisa M. McKenzie
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Benjamin B. Steiger
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Jiali Wang
- Environmental Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, United States of America
| | - Nicole C. Deziel
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Joan A. Casey
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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17
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Ma Y, Zang E, Liu Y, Wei J, Lu Y, Krumholz HM, Bell ML, Chen K. Long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM 2.5 and mortality in the contiguous United States. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2023.01.31.23285059. [PMID: 36778437 PMCID: PMC9915814 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.31.23285059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite the substantial evidence on the health effects of short-term exposure to ambient fine particles (PM2.5), including increasing studies focusing on those from wildland fire smoke, the impacts of long-term wildland fire smoke PM2.5 exposure remain unclear. We investigated the association between long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM2.5 and non-accidental mortality and mortality from a wide range of specific causes in all 3,108 counties in the contiguous U.S., 2007-2020. Controlling for non-smoke PM2.5, air temperature, and unmeasured spatial and temporal confounders, we found a non-linear association between 12-month moving average concentration of smoke PM2.5 and monthly non-accidental mortality rate. Relative to a month with the long-term smoke PM2.5 exposure below 0.1 μg/m3, non-accidental mortality increased by 0.16-0.63 and 2.11 deaths per 100,000 people per month when the 12-month moving average of PM2.5 concentration was of 0.1-5 and 5+ μg/m3, respectively. Cardiovascular, ischemic heart disease, digestive, endocrine, diabetes, mental, and chronic kidney disease mortality were all found to be associated with long-term wildland fire smoke PM2.5 exposure. Smoke PM2.5 contributed to approximately 11,415 non-accidental deaths/year (95% CI: 6,754, 16,075) in the contiguous U.S. Higher smoke PM2.5-related increases in mortality rates were found for people aged 65 above. Positive interaction effects with extreme heat (monthly number of days with daily mean air temperature higher than the county's 90th percentile warm season air temperature) were also observed. Our study identified the detrimental effects of long-term exposure to wildland fire smoke PM2.5 on a wide range of mortality outcomes, underscoring the need for public health actions and communications that span the health risks of both short- and long-term exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Ma
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emma Zang
- Department of Sociology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jing Wei
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Yuan Lu
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
- Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Harlan M. Krumholz
- Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, CT, USA
- Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Kai Chen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
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18
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Connolly R, Marlier ME, Garcia-Gonzales DA, Wilkins J, Su J, Bekker C, Jung J, Bonilla E, Burnett RT, Zhu Y, Jerrett M. Mortality attributable to PM 2.5 from wildland fires in California from 2008 to 2018. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl1252. [PMID: 38848356 PMCID: PMC11160451 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
In California, wildfire risk and severity have grown substantially in the last several decades. Research has characterized extensive adverse health impacts from exposure to wildfire-attributable fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but few studies have quantified long-term outcomes, and none have used a wildfire-specific chronic dose-response mortality coefficient. Here, we quantified the mortality burden for PM2.5 exposure from California fires from 2008 to 2018 using Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system wildland fire PM2.5 estimates. We used a concentration-response function for PM2.5, applying ZIP code-level mortality data and an estimated wildfire-specific dose-response coefficient accounting for the likely toxicity of wildfire smoke. We estimate a total of 52,480 to 55,710 premature deaths are attributable to wildland fire PM2.5 over the 11-year period with respect to two exposure scenarios, equating to an economic impact of $432 to $456 billion. These findings extend evidence on climate-related health impacts, suggesting that wildfires account for a greater mortality and economic burden than indicated by earlier studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Connolly
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Luskin Center for Innovation, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Miriam E. Marlier
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Diane A. Garcia-Gonzales
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Wilkins
- Department of Earth, Environment and Equity, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jason Su
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Claire Bekker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jihoon Jung
- Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Eimy Bonilla
- Department of Earth, Environment and Equity, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Richard T. Burnett
- Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Yifang Zhu
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael Jerrett
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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19
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Yu M, Zhang S, Ning H, Li Z, Zhang K. Assessing the 2023 Canadian wildfire smoke impact in Northeastern US: Air quality, exposure and environmental justice. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171853. [PMID: 38522543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
The Canadian wildfires in June 2023 significantly impacted the northeastern United States, particularly in terms of worsened air pollution and environmental justice concerns. While advancements have been made in low-cost sensor deployments and satellite observations of atmospheric composition, integrating dynamic human mobility with wildfire PM2.5 exposure to fully understand the environmental justice implications remains underinvestigated. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of estimating ground-level fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations by fusing chemical transport model outputs with empirical observations, estimating exposures using human mobility data, and evaluating the impact of environmental justice. Employing a novel data fusion technique, the study combines the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) outputs and surface PM2.5 measurements, providing a more accurate estimation of PM2.5 distribution. The study addresses the gap in traditional exposure assessments by incorporating human mobility data and further investigates the spatial correlation of PM2.5 levels with various environmental and demographic factors from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen). Results reveal that despite reduced mobility during high PM2.5 levels from wildfire smoke, exposure for both residents and individuals on the move remains high. Regions already burdened with high environmental pollution levels face amplified PM2.5 effects from wildfire smoke. Furthermore, we observed mixed correlations between PM2.5 concentrations and various demographic and socioeconomic factors, indicating complex exposure patterns across communities. Urban areas, in particular, experience persistent high exposure, while significant correlations in rural areas with EJScreen factors highlight the unique vulnerabilities of these populations to smoke exposure. These results advocate for a comprehensive approach to environmental health that leverages advanced models, integrates human mobility data, and addresses socio-demographic disparities, contributing to the development of equitable strategies against the growing threat of wildfires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manzhu Yu
- Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
| | - Shiyan Zhang
- Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Huan Ning
- Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Zhenlong Li
- Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer 12144, NY, USA
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20
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Sol JA, Covington AC, McCloy AD, Sessums IP, Malek EM, McGinnis GR, Quindry JC. Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation on the Physiological Response to Woodsmoke and Exercise. J Occup Environ Med 2024; 66:381-387. [PMID: 38383951 PMCID: PMC11073906 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000003071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate sleep deprivation effects on the acute physiological response to a combined stressor of woodsmoke and exercise. METHODS Ten participants completed two exercise trials (8 hours of sleep vs 4 hours) with woodsmoke. Trials were conducted in a crossover design. Key measures examined before and after each trial included heart rate variability, pulse wave velocity, blood pressure, pulmonary function testing, and oxidative stress. RESULTS Acute sleep deprivation experienced before exercise and woodsmoke exposure did not impact metrics of heart rate variability, pulse wave velocity, pulmonary function testing, blood pressure, or oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS Acute sleep deprivation did not amplify physiologic metrics in response to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise with inhaled woodsmoke. Although findings do not eliminate the negative impacts of inhaling woodsmoke, more research is needed to understand the acute effects of woodsmoke exposure on the cardiovascular system. 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. Sol
- School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
| | - Anna C. Covington
- School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
| | - Aidan D.A. McCloy
- School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
| | - Izaac P. Sessums
- School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
| | - Elias M. Malek
- School of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
| | - Graham R. McGinnis
- School of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, University of Nevada – Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
| | - John C. Quindry
- School of Integrative Physiology and Athletic Training, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
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21
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Rafie SAA, Blentlinger LR, Putt AD, Williams DE, Joyner DC, Campa MF, Schubert MJ, Hoyt KP, Horn SP, Franklin JA, Hazen TC. Impact of prescribed fire on soil microbial communities in a Southern Appalachian Forest clear-cut. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1322151. [PMID: 38741734 PMCID: PMC11090169 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1322151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Escalating wildfire frequency and severity, exacerbated by shifting climate patterns, pose significant ecological and economic challenges. Prescribed burns, a common forest management tool, aim to mitigate wildfire risks and protect biodiversity. Nevertheless, understanding the impact of prescribed burns on soil and microbial communities in temperate mixed forests, considering temporal dynamics and slash fuel types, remains crucial. Our study, conducted at the University of Tennessee Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center in Oak Ridge, TN, employed controlled burns across various treatments, and the findings indicate that low-intensity prescribed burns have none or minimal short-term effects on soil parameters but may alter soil nutrient concentrations, as evidenced by significant changes in porewater acetate, formate, and nitrate concentrations. These burns also induce shifts in microbial community structure and diversity, with Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria increasing significantly post-fire, possibly aiding soil recovery. In contrast, Verrucomicrobia showed a notable decrease over time, and other specific microbial taxa correlated with soil pH, porewater nitrate, ammonium, and phosphate concentrations. Our research contributes to understanding the intricate relationships between prescribed fire, soil dynamics, and microbial responses in temperate mixed forests in the Southern Appalachian Region, which is valuable for informed land management practices in the face of evolving environmental challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. A. A. Rafie
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - L. R. Blentlinger
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - A. D. Putt
- Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - D. E. Williams
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - D. C. Joyner
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - M. F. Campa
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Bredesen Center—Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - M. J. Schubert
- Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - K. P. Hoyt
- Forest Resources AgResearch and Education Center, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - S. P. Horn
- Department of Geography, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - J. A. Franklin
- Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - T. C. Hazen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
- Bredesen Center—Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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22
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Conlisk E, Butsic V, Syphard AD, Evans S, Jennings M. Evidence of increasing wildfire damage with decreasing property price in Southern California fires. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300346. [PMID: 38656930 PMCID: PMC11042721 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Across the Western United States, human development into the wildland urban interface (WUI) is contributing to increasing wildfire damage. Given that natural disasters often cause greater harm within socio-economically vulnerable groups, research is needed to explore the potential for disproportionate impacts associated with wildfire. Using Zillow Transaction and Assessment Database (ZTRAX), hereafter "Zillow", real estate data, we explored whether lower-priced structures were more likely to be damaged during the most destructive, recent wildfires in Southern California. Within fire perimeters occurring from 2000-2019, we matched property price data to burned and unburned structures. To be included in the final dataset, fire perimeters had to surround at least 25 burned and 25 unburned structures and have been sold at most seven years before the fire; five fires fit these criteria. We found evidence to support our hypothesis that lower-priced properties were more likely to be damaged, however, the likelihood of damage and the influence of property value significantly varied across individual fire perimeters. When considering fires individually, properties within two 2003 fires-the Cedar and Grand Prix-Old Fires-had statistically significantly decreasing burn damage with increasing property value. Occurring in 2007 and later, the other three fires (Witch-Poomacha, Thomas, and Woolsey) showed no significant relationship between price and damage. Consistent with other studies, topographic position, slope, elevation, and vegetation were also significantly associated with the likelihood of a structure being damaged during the wildfire. Driving time to the nearest fire station and previously identified fire hazard were also significant. Our results suggest that further studies on the extent and reason for disproportionate impacts of wildfire are needed. In the meantime, decision makers should consider allocating wildfire risk mitigation resources-such as fire-fighting and wildfire structural preparedness resources-to more socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Conlisk
- Research was Performed while at Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma, California, United States of America
- Conservation Biology Institute, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Van Butsic
- UC Berkeley, Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | | | - Sam Evans
- Mills College at Northeastern University, Oakland, California, United States of America
| | - Megan Jennings
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, United States of America
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23
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Daniels J, Liang L, Benedict KB, Brahney J, Rangel R, Weathers KC, Ponette-González AG. Satellite-based aerosol optical depth estimates over the continental U.S. during the 2020 wildfire season: Roles of smoke and land cover. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 921:171122. [PMID: 38395165 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Wildfires produce smoke that can affect an area >1000 times the burn extent, with far-reaching human health, ecologic, and economic impacts. Accurately estimating aerosol load within smoke plumes is therefore crucial for understanding and mitigating these impacts. We evaluated the effectiveness of the latest Collection 6.1 MODIS Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm in estimating aerosol optical depth (AOD) across the U.S. during the historic 2020 wildfire season. We compared satellite-based MAIAC AOD to ground-based AERONET AOD measurements during no-, light-, medium-, and heavy-smoke conditions identified using the Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product. This smoke product consists of maximum extent smoke polygons digitized by analysts using visible band imagery and classified according to smoke density. We also examined the strength of the correlations between satellite- and ground-based AOD for major land cover types under various smoke density levels. MAIAC performed well in estimating AOD during smoke-affected conditions. Correlations between MAIAC and AERONET AOD were strong for medium- (r = 0.91) and heavy-smoke (r = 0.90) density, and MAIAC estimates of AOD showed little bias relative to ground-based AERONET measurements (normalized mean bias = 3 % for medium, 5 % for heavy smoke). During two high AOD, heavy smoke episodes, MAIAC underestimated ground-based AERONET AOD under mixed aerosol (i.e., smoke and dust; median bias = -0.08) and overestimated AOD under smoke-dominated (median bias = 0.02) aerosol. MAIAC most overestimated ground-based AERONET AOD over barren land (mean NMB = 48 %). Our findings indicate that MODIS MAIAC can provide robust estimates of AOD as smoke density increases in coming years. Increased frequency of mixed aerosol and expansion of developed land could affect the performance of the MAIAC algorithm in the future, however, with implications for evaluating wildfire-associated health and welfare effects and air quality standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Daniels
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Lu Liang
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Katherine B Benedict
- Earth and Environmental Science Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Janice Brahney
- Department of Watershed Sciences and Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5210 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Roman Rangel
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | | | - Alexandra G Ponette-González
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA; Department of City and Metropolitan Planning, University of Utah, 375 South 1530 East, Suite 220, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
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24
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Picciotto S, Huang S, Lurmann F, Pavlovic N, Ying Chang S, Mukherjee A, Goin DE, Sklar R, Noth E, Morello-Frosch R, Padula AM. Pregnancy exposure to PM 2.5 from wildland fire smoke and preterm birth in California. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 186:108583. [PMID: 38521046 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildfires in the Western United States are a growing and significant source of air pollution that is eroding decades of progress in air pollution reduction. The effects on preterm birth during critical periods of pregnancy are unknown. METHODS We assessed associations between prenatal exposure to wildland fire smoke and risk of preterm birth (gestational age < 37 weeks). We assigned smoke exposure to geocoded residence at birth for all live singleton births in California conceived 2007-2018, using weekly average concentrations of particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) attributable to wildland fires from United States Environmental Protection Agency's Community Multiscale Air Quality Model. Logistic regression yielded odds ratio (OR) for preterm birth in relation to increases in average exposure across the whole pregnancy, each trimester, and each week of pregnancy. Models adjusted for season, age, education, race/ethnicity, medical insurance, and smoking of the birthing parent. RESULTS For the 5,155,026 births, higher wildland fire PM2.5 exposure averaged across pregnancy, or any trimester, was associated with higher odds of preterm birth. The OR for an increase of 1 µg/m3 of average wildland fire PM2.5 during pregnancy was 1.013 (95 % CI:1.008,1.017). Wildland fire PM2.5 during most weeks of pregnancy was associated with higher odds. Strongest estimates were observed in weeks in the second and third trimesters. A 10 µg/m3 increase in average wildland fire PM2·5 in gestational week 23 was associated with OR = 1.034; 95 % CI: 1.019, 1.049 for preterm birth. CONCLUSIONS Preterm birth is sensitive to wildland fire PM2.5; therefore, we must reduce exposure during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Picciotto
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dana E Goin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Sklar
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Noth
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Amy M Padula
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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25
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Allen RJ, Samset BH, Wilcox LJ, Fisher RA. Are Northern Hemisphere boreal forest fires more sensitive to future aerosol mitigation than to greenhouse gas-driven warming? SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadl4007. [PMID: 38552024 PMCID: PMC10980282 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl4007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Considerable interest exists in understanding how climate change affects wildfire activity. Here, we use the Community Earth System Model version 2 to show that future anthropogenic aerosol mitigation yields larger increases in fire activity in the Northern Hemisphere boreal forests, relative to a base simulation that lacks climate policy and has large increases in greenhouse gases. The enhanced fire response is related to a deeper layer of summertime soil drying, consistent with increased downwelling surface shortwave radiation and enhanced surface evapotranspiration. In contrast, soil column drying is muted under increasing greenhouse gases due to plant physiological responses to increased carbon dioxide and by enhanced melting of soil ice at a depth that increases soil liquid water. Although considerable uncertainty remains in the representation of fire processes in models, our results suggest that boreal forest fires may be more sensitive to future aerosol mitigation than to greenhouse gas-driven warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Allen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521 USA
| | - Bjørn H. Samset
- CICERO Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Laura J. Wilcox
- National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Rosie A. Fisher
- CICERO Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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26
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Neyestani SE, Porter WC, Kiely L. Air quality impacts of observationally constrained biomass burning heat flux inputs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 917:170321. [PMID: 38278259 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Biomass burning is a major contributor to ambient air pollution worldwide, and the accurate characterization of biomass burning plume behavior is an important consideration for air quality models that attempt to reproduce these emissions. Smoke plume injection height, or the vertical level into which the combustion emissions are released, is an important consideration for determining plume behavior, transport, and eventual impacts. This injection height is dependent on several fire properties, each with estimates and uncertainties in terms of historical fire emissions inventories. One such property is the fire heat flux, a fire property metric sometimes used to predict and parameterize plume injection heights in current chemical transport models. Although important for plume behavior, fire heat flux is difficult to predict and parameterize efficiently, and is therefore often held to fixed, constant values in these models, leading to potential model biases relative to real world conditions. In this study we collect observed heat flux estimates from satellite data products for three wildfire events over northern California and use these estimates in a regional chemical transport model to investigate and quantify the impacts of observationally constrained heat fluxes on the modeled injection height and downwind air quality. We find large differences between these observationally derived heat flux estimates and fixed model assumptions, with important implications for modeled behavior of plume dynamics and surface air quality impacts. Overall, we find that using observationally constrained heat flux estimates tends to reduce modeled injection heights for our chosen fires, resulting in large increases in surface particulate matter concentrations. While local wind conditions contribute to variability and additional uncertainties in the impacts of modified plume injection heights, we find observationally constrained heat fluxes to be an impactful and potentially useful tool towards the improvement of emissions inventory assumptions and parameterizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soroush E Neyestani
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - William C Porter
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Laura Kiely
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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27
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Lin Y, Wang X, Chen R, Weil T, Ge Y, Stapleton HM, Bergin MH, Zhang J(J. Arachidonic Acid Metabolites in Self-collected Biospecimens Following Campfire Exposure: Exploring Non-invasive Biomarkers of Wildfire Health Effects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2024; 11:201-207. [PMID: 38828437 PMCID: PMC11144521 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change has contributed to increased frequency and intensity of wildfire. Studying its acute effects is limited due to unpredictable nature of wildfire occurrence, which necessitates readily deployable techniques to collect biospecimens. To identify biomarkers of wildfire's acute effects, we conducted this exploratory study in eight healthy campers (four men and four women) who self-collected nasal fluid, urine, saliva, and skin wipes at different time points before, during, and after 4-hour exposure to wood smoke in a camping event. Concentrations of black carbon in the air and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in participants' silicone wristbands were significantly elevated during the exposure session. Among 30 arachidonic acid metabolites measured, lipoxygenase metabolites were more abundant in nasal fluid and saliva, whereas cyclooxygenase and non-enzymatic metabolites were more abundant in urine. We observed drastic increases, at 8 hours following the exposure, in urinary levels of PGE2 (398%) and 15-keto-PGF2α (191%) (FDR<10%), with greater increases in men (FDR < 0.01%) than in women. No significant changes were observed for other metabolites in urine or the other biospecimens. Our results suggest urinary PGE2 and 15-keto-PGF2α as promising biomarkers reflecting pathophysiologic (likely sex-dependent) changes induced by short-term exposure to wildfire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Lin
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Xiangtian Wang
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Ruoxue Chen
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Tenley Weil
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Yihui Ge
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Heather M. Stapleton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Michael H. Bergin
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
| | - Junfeng (Jim) Zhang
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, United States
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28
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Batcheler M, Smith MM, Swanson ME, Ostrom M, Carpenter-Boggs L. Assessing silvopasture management as a strategy to reduce fuel loads and mitigate wildfire risk. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5954. [PMID: 38467773 PMCID: PMC10928111 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56104-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Managing private forests for wildfire resilience is challenging due to conflicting social, economic, and ecological decisions that may result in an increase of surface fuel loads leading to greater fire risk. Due to fire suppression and a changing climate, land managers in fire-prone regions face an increasing threat of high severity fires. Thus, land managers need fuel treatment options that match their forest types and management objectives. One potential option for producers that graze livestock is silvopasture management, where livestock, forages, and overstory vegetation are carefully managed for co-benefits on the same unit of land. This study compared forest composition and structure, fuel types, and vegetative biomass between silvopasture and non-grazed managed forests in Washington, U.S. We show that silvopasture management results in reductions in grass biomass, litter, and duff depth when compared to non-grazed managed forest. These findings point to the integrated nature of silvopasture, where management of overstory composition and structure, understory vegetation, and grazing can reduce fuel loads and potential wildfire risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Batcheler
- Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory, USDA National Agroforestry Center, 3200 Southwest Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Matthew M Smith
- USDA National Agroforestry Center, 1945 North 38Th Street, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Mark E Swanson
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, P.O. Box 64610, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Marcia Ostrom
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, 1100 North Western Avenue, Wenatchee, WA, 98801, USA
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29
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Hasan MZ, Semmens EO, DuBose KN, McCray LK, Noonan CW. Subclinical Measures of Cardiovascular Health Among Wildland Firefighters. J Occup Environ Med 2024; 66:e116-e121. [PMID: 38234129 PMCID: PMC11104274 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000003041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study is to compare subclinical measures of cardiovascular health among wildland firefighters (WFFs) to the US general population. METHODS Our cross-sectional study compared body mass index, total cholesterol, and blood pressure in 11,051 WFFs aged 17 to 64 years using Department of the Interior Medical Screening Program clinical screening examinations between 2014-2018 to National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2015-2016 cycle using adjusted logistic regression analyses. RESULTS The logistic regression model shows significantly higher odds of hypertension and prehypertension in WFFs (2.84 times more with 95% CI: 2.28-3.53) than US general population. There were no consistent differences in body mass index or total cholesterol between the two population. CONCLUSIONS Hypertension and prehypertension were more prevalent in WFFs compared with the US general population, which suggests the need for actions for protecting against cardiovascular disease among WFFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Zahid Hasan
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana
| | - Erin O. Semmens
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana
| | | | | | - Curtis W. Noonan
- Center for Population Health Research, School of Public and Community Health Sciences, University of Montana
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30
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Steel BS, Lovrich NP, Pierce JC. Cultural Theory, Wildfire Information Source, and Agency Public Trust: A Central Oregon Case Study. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 73:579-594. [PMID: 37981581 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01909-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing occurrence and severity of wildfires in the U.S., and especially in the forests and rangelands of the western U.S., it is important to know which wildfire information sources are trusted by households and the amount of trust placed on natural resources agencies to manage for wildfire. The Theory of Motivated Reasoning suggests that people will trust and use those information sources that conform to their own value and ideological orientations. Similarly, trust in natural resource agencies' ability to manage wildfire may also be the result of cultural traits. This study uses Cultural Theory as a theoretical perspective to determine those value systems, and how cultural traits motivate people to use and trust various wildfire information sources and the agencies tasked with managing wildfire. Using random sample surveys of Wildland-Urban-Interface (WUI) households in fire-prone Deschutes County in central Oregon, the study finds that egalitarians are significantly more likely than those with other cultural traits to use and trust natural resource agency information sources, while individualists are more likely to use and trust family members and neighbors for their information. Similarly, egalitarians are trusting of natural resource managers to use prescribed fire, manage naturally ignited fires, and to thin forests to reduce fuels. Individualists are less trusting of government agencies to use the same approaches to reduce fuels. The study concludes with some suggestions for how wildfire policy makers and managers can use these findings to communicate more effectively important wildfire information to audiences with differing cultural traits and differing levels of natural resource agency trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent S Steel
- School of Public Policy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Nicholas P Lovrich
- School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - John C Pierce
- School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
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31
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Casey JA, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Padula A, González DJX, Elser H, Aguilera R, Northrop AJ, Tartof SY, Mayeda ER, Braun D, Dominici F, Eisen EA, Morello-Frosch R, Benmarhnia T. Measuring long-term exposure to wildfire PM 2.5 in California: Time-varying inequities in environmental burden. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2306729121. [PMID: 38349877 PMCID: PMC10895344 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306729121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildfires have become more frequent and intense due to climate change and outdoor wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations differ from relatively smoothly varying total PM2.5. Thus, we introduced a conceptual model for computing long-term wildfire PM2.5 and assessed disproportionate exposures among marginalized communities. We used monitoring data and statistical techniques to characterize annual wildfire PM2.5 exposure based on intermittent and extreme daily wildfire PM2.5 concentrations in California census tracts (2006 to 2020). Metrics included: 1) weeks with wildfire PM2.5 < 5 μg/m3; 2) days with non-zero wildfire PM2.5; 3) mean wildfire PM2.5 during peak exposure week; 4) smoke waves (≥2 consecutive days with <15 μg/m3 wildfire PM2.5); and 5) mean annual wildfire PM2.5 concentration. We classified tracts by their racial/ethnic composition and CalEnviroScreen (CES) score, an environmental and social vulnerability composite measure. We examined associations of CES and racial/ethnic composition with the wildfire PM2.5 metrics using mixed-effects models. Averaged 2006 to 2020, we detected little difference in exposure by CES score or racial/ethnic composition, except for non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native populations, where a 1-SD increase was associated with higher exposure for 4/5 metrics. CES or racial/ethnic × year interaction term models revealed exposure disparities in some years. Compared to their California-wide representation, the exposed populations of non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (1.68×, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.81), white (1.13×, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.32), and multiracial (1.06×, 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.23) people were over-represented from 2006 to 2020. In conclusion, during our study period in California, we detected disproportionate long-term wildfire PM2.5 exposure for several racial/ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan A. Casey
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY10032
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA98195
| | | | - Amy Padula
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94143
| | - David J. X. González
- Department of Environmental Policy, Science, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA94704
| | - Holly Elser
- Department of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Rosana Aguilera
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92037
| | | | - Sara Y. Tartof
- Department of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA91101
| | - Elizabeth Rose Mayeda
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Danielle Braun
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA02215
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA02115
| | - Ellen A. Eisen
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA94704
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Policy, Science, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA94720
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA94704
| | - Tarik Benmarhnia
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA92037
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Villarruel CM, Figueroa LA, Ranville JF. Quantification of Bioaccessible and Environmentally Relevant Trace Metals in Structure Ash from a Wildland-Urban Interface Fire. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2502-2513. [PMID: 38277687 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Wildfires at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are increasing in frequency and intensity, driven by climate change and anthropogenic ignitions. Few studies have characterized the variability in the metal content in ash generated from burned structures in order to determine the potential risk to human and environmental health. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), we analyzed leachable trace metal concentration in soils and ash from structures burned by the Marshall Fire, a WUI fire that destroyed over 1000 structures in Boulder County, Colorado. Acid digestion revealed that ash derived from structures contained 22 times more Cu and 3 times more Pb on average than surrounding soils on a mg/kg basis. Ash liberated 12 times more Ni (mg/kg) and twice as much Cr (mg/kg) as soils in a water leach. By comparing the amount of acid-extractable metals to that released by water and simulated epithelial lung fluid (SELF), we estimated their potential for environmental mobility and human bioaccessibility. The SELF leach showed that Cu and Ni were more bioaccessible (mg of leachable metal/mg of acid-extractable metal) in ash than in soils. These results suggest that structure ash is an important source of trace metals that can negatively impact the health of both humans and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen M Villarruel
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Linda A Figueroa
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - James F Ranville
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Wettstein ZS, Vaidyanathan A. Psychotropic Medication Prescriptions and Large California Wildfires. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2356466. [PMID: 38407907 PMCID: PMC10897744 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.56466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Wildfires, intensified by climate change, have known effects on physical health but their effects on mental health are less well characterized. It has been hypothesized that the residential proximity to a large wildfire can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions as evidenced by increased prescriptions of psychotropic medications. Objective To evaluate the association between the occurrence of large wildfires and the prescription rates of psychotropic medications immediately following the start of the fire. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohortstudy used an interrupted time-series analysis to compare psychotropic medication prescriptions in the 6 weeks before and after each of 25 wildfires. The setting was California counties within metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) experiencing large wildfires from 2011 through 2018. Participants included individuals residing in California MSAs with prescriptions of psychotropic medications recorded in the Merative MarketScan Research Database (MarketScan) during the study period. Statistical analysis was performed for these 25 large wildfires occurring between September 2011 and November 2018. Exposure Residential proximity to large wildfires that burned more than 25 000 acres occurring in a California county within an MSA. Main Outcomes and Measures Prescriptions of psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and mood-stabilizers, with statins as a negative control outcome. Results For the study period, prescription data and patient-level attributes were extracted for 7 115 690 unique individuals (annual mean [range]: 889 461 [455 705-1 426 928] individuals) enrolled in MarketScan and residing in fire-affected MSAs. This study found a statistically significant increase in prescriptions of antidepressants (rate ratio [RR], 1.04 [95% CI, 1.01-1.07]), anxiolytics (RR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.02-1.09]), and mood-stabilizing medications (RR, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.01-1.13]) in the fire period compared with the prefire baseline. However, the prescriptions of antipsychotics, hypnotics, and the negative control outcome, statins, showed no significant association. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of large California wildfires, the occurrence of wildfire was associated with increased mental health burden as reflected in increased prescription rates of certain psychotropic medications. The findings underscore the need for further scientific examination into the mental health effects of wildfires and the allocation of mental health resources in disaster responses. California experienced a substantial burden of wildfires from 2011 to 2018, and as wildfires become more intense and frequent in the context of anthropogenic climate change, it is increasingly important to understand and address their mental health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary S Wettstein
- Climate and Health Program, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, Seattle
| | - Ambarish Vaidyanathan
- Climate and Health Program, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Slavik CE, Chapman DA, Cohen AS, Bendefaa N, Peters E. Clearing the air: evaluating institutions' social media health messaging on wildfire and smoke risks in the US Pacific Northwest. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:379. [PMID: 38317121 PMCID: PMC10840270 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17907-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildfire smoke contributes substantially to the global disease burden and is a major cause of air pollution in the US states of Oregon and Washington. Climate change is expected to bring more wildfires to this region. Social media is a popular platform for health promotion and a need exists for effective communication about smoke risks and mitigation measures to educate citizens and safeguard public health. METHODS Using a sample of 1,287 Tweets from 2022, we aimed to analyze temporal Tweeting patterns in relation to potential smoke exposure and evaluate and compare institutions' use of social media communication best practices which include (i) encouraging adoption of smoke-protective actions; (ii) leveraging numeric, verbal, and Air Quality Index risk information; and (iii) promoting community-building. Tweets were characterized using keyword searches and the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software. Descriptive and inferential statistics were carried out. RESULTS 44% of Tweets in our sample were authored between January-August 2022, prior to peak wildfire smoke levels, whereas 54% of Tweets were authored during the two-month peak in smoke (September-October). Institutional accounts used Twitter (or X) to encourage the adoption of smoke-related protective actions (82% of Tweets), more than they used it to disseminate wildfire smoke risk information (25%) or promote community-building (47%). Only 10% of Tweets discussed populations vulnerable to wildfire smoke health effects, and 14% mentioned smoke mitigation measures. Tweets from Washington-based accounts used significantly more verbal and numeric risk information to discuss wildfire smoke than Oregon-based accounts (p = 0.042 and p = 0.003, respectively); however, Tweets from Oregon-based accounts on average contained a higher percentage of words associated with community-building language (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This research provides practical recommendations for public health practitioners and researchers communicating wildfire smoke risks on social media. As exposures to wildfire smoke rise due to climate change, reducing the environmental disease burden requires health officials to leverage popular communication platforms, distribute necessary health-related messaging rapidly, and get the message right. Timely, evidence-based, and theory-driven messaging is critical for educating and empowering individuals to make informed decisions about protecting themselves from harmful exposures. Thus, proactive and sustained communications about wildfire smoke should be prioritized even during wildfire "off-seasons."
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Slavik
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
| | - Daniel A Chapman
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Alex Segrè Cohen
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Nahla Bendefaa
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Ellen Peters
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
- Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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Abstract
We review current knowledge on the trends and drivers of global wildfire activity, advances in the measurement of wildfire smoke exposure, and evidence on the health effects of this exposure. We describe methodological issues in estimating the causal effects of wildfire smoke exposures on health and quantify their importance, emphasizing the role of nonlinear and lagged effects. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure, finding positive impacts on all-cause mortality and respiratory hospitalizations but less consistent evidence on cardiovascular morbidity. We conclude by highlighting priority areas for future research, including leveraging recently developed spatially and temporally resolved wildfire-specific ambient air pollution data to improve estimates of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos F Gould
- Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; ,
| | - Sam Heft-Neal
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA;
| | - Mary Johnson
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
| | - Juan Aguilera
- Center for Community Health Impact, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, El Paso, Texas, USA;
| | - Marshall Burke
- Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA; ,
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA;
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kari Nadeau
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; ,
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Vien MH, Ivey SL, Boyden H, Holm S, Neuhauser L. A scoping review of wildfire smoke risk communications: issues, gaps, and recommendations. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:312. [PMID: 38281022 PMCID: PMC10822163 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17681-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wildfire smoke exposure has become a growing public health concern, as megafires and fires at the wildland urban interface increase in incidence and severity. Smoke contains many pollutants that negatively impact health and is linked to a number of health complications and chronic diseases. Communicating effectively with the public, especially at-risk populations, to reduce their exposure to this environmental pollutant has become a public health priority. Although wildfire smoke risk communication research has also increased in the past decade, best practice guidance is limited, and most health communications do not adhere to health literacy principles: readability, accessibility, and actionability. This scoping review identifies peer-reviewed studies about wildfire smoke risk communications to identify gaps in research and evaluation of communications and programs that seek to educate the public. METHODS Four hundred fifty-one articles were identified from Web of Science and PubMed databases. After screening, 21 articles were included in the final sample for the abstraction process and qualitative thematic analysis. Ten articles were based in the US, with the other half in Australia, Canada, Italy, and other countries. Fifteen articles examined communication materials and messaging recommendations. Eight papers described communication delivery strategies. Eleven articles discussed behavior change. Six articles touched on risk communications for vulnerable populations; findings were limited and called for increasing awareness and prioritizing risk communications for at-risk populations. RESULTS This scoping review found limited studies describing behavior change to reduce wildfire smoke exposure, characteristics of effective communication materials and messaging, and communication delivery strategies. Literature on risk communications, dissemination, and behavior change for vulnerable populations was even more limited. CONCLUSIONS Recommendations include providing risk communications that are easy-to-understand and adapted to specific needs of at-risk groups. Communications should provide a limited number of messages that include specific actions for avoiding smoke exposure. Effective communications should use mixed media formats and a wide variety of dissemination strategies. There is a pressing need for more intervention research and effectiveness evaluation of risk communications about wildfire smoke exposure, and more development and dissemination of risk communications for both the general public and vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan H Vien
- Health Research for Action, University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA.
| | - Susan L Ivey
- Health Research for Action, University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA
| | - Hollynd Boyden
- Health Research for Action, University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA
| | - Stephanie Holm
- Health Research for Action, University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA
- Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, San Francisco, USA
- University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Linda Neuhauser
- Health Research for Action, University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA
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Wilgus ML, Merchant M. Clearing the Air: Understanding the Impact of Wildfire Smoke on Asthma and COPD. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:307. [PMID: 38338192 PMCID: PMC10855577 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12030307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Wildfires are a global natural phenomenon. In North America, wildfires have not only become more frequent, but also more severe and longer in duration, a trend ascribed to climate change combined with large fuel stores left from modern fire suppression. The intensification of wildfire activity has significant implications for planetary health and public health, as exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in wildfire smoke is linked to adverse health effects. This review focuses on respiratory morbidity from wildfire smoke exposure. Inhalation of wildfire PM2.5 causes lung injury via oxidative stress, local and systemic inflammation, airway epithelium compromise, and increased vulnerability to infection. Wildfire PM2.5 exposure results in exacerbations of pre-existing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with an escalation in healthcare utilization, including emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Wildfire smoke exposure may be associated with asthma onset, long-term impairment of lung function, and increased all-cause mortality. Children, older adults, occupationally-exposed groups, and possibly women are the most at risk from wildfire smoke. Future research is needed to clarify best practices for risk mitigation and wildfire management.
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Affiliation(s)
- May-Lin Wilgus
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1405, USA;
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Wu TD. Portable Air Purifiers to Mitigate the Harms of Wildfire Smoke for People with Asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2024; 209:126-128. [PMID: 38047880 PMCID: PMC10806428 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202311-2012ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tianshi David Wu
- Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas
- Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center Houston, Texas
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Scarpa C, Bacciu V, Ascoli D, Costa-Saura JM, Salis M, Sirca C, Marchetti M, Spano D. Estimating annual GHG and particulate matter emissions from rural and forest fires based on an integrated modelling approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167960. [PMID: 37865246 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Rural and forest fires represent one of the most significant sources of emissions in the atmosphere of trace gases and aerosol particles, which significantly impact carbon budget, air quality, and human health. This paper aims to illustrate an integrated modelling approach combining spatial and non-spatial inputs to provide and enhance the estimation of GHG and particulate matter emissions from surface fires using Italy as a case study over the period 2007-2017. Three main improvements characterize the approach proposed in this work: (i) the collection and development of comprehensive and accurate data inputs related to burned area; (ii) the use of the most recent data on fuel type and load; and (iii) the modelling application to estimate fuel moisture, burning efficiency, and fuel consumption considering meteorological factors and combustion phases. On average, Italy's GHG and particulate matter emissions were 2621 Gg yr-1, ranging from a minimum of 772 Gg yr-1 in 2013 to a maximum of 7020 Gg yr-1 in 2007. Emissions from fire disturbances in broadleaf forests, shrublands, and agricultural fuel types account for about 76 % of the total. Results were compared with global and national inventories and showed good agreement, especially considering CO2 and particulate matter. The approach of this study added confidence in emission estimates, and the results can be utilized in decision support systems to address air quality management and fire impact mitigation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Scarpa
- National Research Council, Institute of BioEconomy (CNR-IBE), 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Valentina Bacciu
- National Research Council, Institute of BioEconomy (CNR-IBE), 07100 Sassari, Italy; EuroMediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) Foundation, Impact on Agriculture, Forest, and Ecosystem Services (IAFES) Division, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Davide Ascoli
- University of Torino, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
| | - Josè Maria Costa-Saura
- EuroMediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) Foundation, Impact on Agriculture, Forest, and Ecosystem Services (IAFES) Division, 07100 Sassari, Italy; University of Sassari, Department of Agriculture Sciences, 07100 Sassari, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center, Palazzo Steri, Piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Michele Salis
- National Research Council, Institute of BioEconomy (CNR-IBE), 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Costantino Sirca
- EuroMediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) Foundation, Impact on Agriculture, Forest, and Ecosystem Services (IAFES) Division, 07100 Sassari, Italy; University of Sassari, Department of Agriculture Sciences, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
| | - Marco Marchetti
- University of Study of Molise, Department of Biosciences and Territory, 86090 Pesche, Italy; Fondazione Alberitalia ETS, Via Isola Capaccio 77, 47018 Santa Sofia, Italy.
| | - Donatella Spano
- EuroMediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) Foundation, Impact on Agriculture, Forest, and Ecosystem Services (IAFES) Division, 07100 Sassari, Italy; University of Sassari, Department of Agriculture Sciences, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
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Cromar K, Gladson L, Gohlke J, Li Y, Tong D, Ewart G. Adverse Health Impacts of Outdoor Air Pollution, Including from Wildland Fires, in the United States: "Health of the Air," 2018-2020. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2024; 21:76-87. [PMID: 37906164 PMCID: PMC10867920 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202305-455oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Adverse health impacts from outdoor air pollution occur across the United States, but the magnitude of these impacts varies widely by geographic region. Ambient pollutant concentrations, emission sources, baseline health conditions, and population sizes and distributions are all important factors that need to be taken into account to quantify local health burdens. Objectives: To determine health impacts from ambient air pollution concentrations in the United States that exceed the levels recommended by the American Thoracic Society. Methods: Using a methodology that has been well established in previous "Health of the Air" reports, this study provides policy-relevant estimates for every monitored county and city in the United States for the adverse health impacts of outdoor pollution concentrations using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency design values for years 2018-2020. Additionally, for the first time, the report includes adverse birth outcomes as well as estimates of health impacts specifically attributable to wildland fires using an exposure dataset generated through Community Multiscale Air Quality simulations. Results: The adverse health burdens attributable to air pollution occur across the entire age spectrum, including adverse birth outcomes (10,660 preterm and/or low-weight births; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3,180-18,330), in addition to mortality impacts (21,300 avoidable deaths; 95% CI, 16,180-26,200), lung cancer incidence (3,000 new cases; 95% CI, 1,550-4,390), multiple types of cardiovascular and respiratory morbidity (748,660 events; 95% CI, 326,050-1,057,080), and adversely impacted days (52.4 million days; 95% CI, 7.9-92.4 million days). Two different estimates of mortality impacts from wildland fires were created based on assumptions regarding the underlying toxicity of particles from wildland fires (low estimate of 4,080 deaths, 95% CI, 240-7,890; middle estimate of 28,000 deaths, 95% CI, 27,300-28,700). Conclusions: This year's report identified sizable health benefits that would be expected to occur across the United States with compliance with more health-protective air quality standards such as those recommended by the American Thoracic Society. This study also indicates that a large number of excess deaths are attributable to emissions from wildland fires; air quality management strategies outside what is required by the Clean Air Act will be needed to best address this important source of air pollution and its associated health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Cromar
- Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University, New York, New York
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Laura Gladson
- Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University, New York, New York
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | | | - Yunyao Li
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences and
| | - Daniel Tong
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences and
- Center for Spatial Information Science and Systems, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia; and
| | - Gary Ewart
- American Thoracic Society, Washington, DC
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Rice RB, Boaggio K, Olson NE, Foley KM, Weaver CP, Sacks JD, McDow SR, Holder AL, LeDuc SD. Wildfires Increase Concentrations of Hazardous Air Pollutants in Downwind Communities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:21235-21248. [PMID: 38051783 PMCID: PMC10862657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Due in part to climate change, wildfire activity is increasing, with the potential for greater public health impact from smoke in downwind communities. Studies examining the health effects of wildfire smoke have focused primarily on fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but there is a need to better characterize other constituents, such as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). HAPs are chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects that are regulated by the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency. Here, we analyzed concentrations of 21 HAPs in wildfire smoke from 2006 to 2020 at 309 monitors across the western US. Additionally, we examined HAP concentrations measured in a major population center (San Jose, CA) affected by multiple fires from 2017 to 2020. We found that concentrations of select HAPs, namely acetaldehyde, acrolein, chloroform, formaldehyde, manganese, and tetrachloroethylene, were all significantly elevated on smoke-impacted versus nonsmoke days (P < 0.05). The largest median increase on smoke-impacted days was observed for formaldehyde, 1.3 μg/m3 (43%) higher than that on nonsmoke days. Acetaldehyde increased 0.73 μg/m3 (36%), and acrolein increased 0.14 μg/m3 (34%). By better characterizing these chemicals in wildfire smoke, we anticipate that this research will aid efforts to reduce exposures in downwind communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Byron Rice
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Katie Boaggio
- US EPA, Office of Air and Radiation, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Nicole E Olson
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Kristen M Foley
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Christopher P Weaver
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Jason D Sacks
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Stephen R McDow
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Amara L Holder
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Stephen D LeDuc
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina 27709, United States
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Wen J, Heft-Neal S, Baylis P, Boomhower J, Burke M. Quantifying fire-specific smoke exposure and health impacts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309325120. [PMID: 38085772 PMCID: PMC10743475 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309325120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapidly changing wildfire regimes across the Western United States have driven more frequent and severe wildfires, resulting in wide-ranging societal threats from wildfires and wildfire-generated smoke. However, common measures of fire severity focus on what is burned, disregarding the societal impacts of smoke generated from each fire. We combine satellite-derived fire scars, air parcel trajectories from individual fires, and predicted smoke PM2.5 to link source fires to resulting smoke PM2.5 and health impacts experienced by populations in the contiguous United States from April 2006 to 2020. We quantify fire-specific accumulated smoke exposure based on the cumulative population exposed to smoke PM2.5 over the duration of a fire and estimate excess asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits as a result of this exposure. We find that excess asthma visits attributable to each fire are only moderately correlated with common measures of wildfire severity, including burned area, structures destroyed, and suppression cost. Additionally, while recent California fires contributed nearly half of the country's smoke-related excess asthma ED visits during our study period, the most severe individual fire was the 2007 Bugaboo fire in the Southeast. We estimate that a majority of smoke PM2.5 comes from sources outside the local jurisdictions where the smoke is experienced, with 87% coming from fires in other counties and 60% from fires in other states. Our approach could enable broad-scale assessment of whether specific fire characteristics affect smoke toxicity or impact, inform cost-effectiveness assessments for allocation of suppression resources, and help clarify the growing transboundary nature of local air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Wen
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Sam Heft-Neal
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Patrick Baylis
- Department of Economics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Judson Boomhower
- Department of Economics, University of California, San Diego, CA92093
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Marshall Burke
- Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, MA02138
- Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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Lopez AM, Pacheco JL, Fendorf S. Metal toxin threat in wildland fires determined by geology and fire severity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8007. [PMID: 38086795 PMCID: PMC10716285 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43101-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Accentuated by climate change, catastrophic wildfires are a growing, distributed global public health risk from inhalation of smoke and dust. Underrecognized, however, are the health threats arising from fire-altered toxic metals natural to soils and plants. Here, we demonstrate that high temperatures during California wildfires catalyzed widespread transformation of chromium to its carcinogenic form in soil and ash, as hexavalent chromium, particularly in areas with metal-rich geologies (e.g., serpentinite). In wildfire ash, we observed dangerous levels (327-13,100 µg kg-1) of reactive hexavalent chromium in wind-dispersible particulates. Relatively dry post-fire weather contributed to the persistence of elevated hexavalent chromium in surficial soil layers for up to ten months post-fire. The geographic distribution of metal-rich soils and fire incidents illustrate the broad global threat of wildfire smoke- and dust-born metals to populations. Our findings provide new insights into why wildfire smoke exposure appears to be more hazardous to humans than pollution from other sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alandra Marie Lopez
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Juan Lezama Pacheco
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Scott Fendorf
- Earth System Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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Zheng J. Exposure to wildfires and health outcomes of vulnerable people: Evidence from US data. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2023; 51:101311. [PMID: 37816268 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the causal effect of wildfire exposure on birth outcomes and older people's health outcomes in United States (US). The study focuses on three sub-questions for each health outcome: (1) the causal effect of each of the five largest wildfires on individual health, (2) the causal impact of multiple large wildfires on individual health outcomes, and (3) the causal influence of wildfires larger than different sizes within different distances of counties on health outcomes at the county level. The analysis exploits data from National Vital Statistics System, Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System and FIRESTAT. In terms of birth outcomes, the findings show that the largest wildfire slightly increased the risk of other circulatory or respiratory anomalies. Multiple large wildfires moderately raised the risk of prematurity and led to a small decline in the probability of getting omphalocele and cleft lip. The county-level analysis suggests an increased risk of macrosomia following maternal exposure to wildfires. As for the elderly aged 65 + , the results indicate that exposure to multiple massive wildfires led to frequent occurrence of asthma symptoms, while the largest wildfire led to sleeping difficulty caused by asthma symptoms. The number of days older people experienced psychological problems was increased following exposure to multiple large wildfires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyuan Zheng
- Department of Economics, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom.
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45
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Wei J, Wang J, Li Z, Kondragunta S, Anenberg S, Wang Y, Zhang H, Diner D, Hand J, Lyapustin A, Kahn R, Colarco P, da Silva A, Ichoku C. Long-term mortality burden trends attributed to black carbon and PM 2·5 from wildfire emissions across the continental USA from 2000 to 2020: a deep learning modelling study. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e963-e975. [PMID: 38056967 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00235-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term improvements in air quality and public health in the continental USA were disrupted over the past decade by increased fire emissions that potentially offset the decrease in anthropogenic emissions. This study aims to estimate trends in black carbon and PM2·5 concentrations and their attributable mortality burden across the USA. METHODS In this study, we derived daily concentrations of PM2·5 and its highly toxic black carbon component at a 1-km resolution in the USA from 2000 to 2020 via deep learning that integrated big data from satellites, models, and surface observations. We estimated the annual PM2·5-attributable and black carbon-attributable mortality burden at each 1-km2 grid using concentration-response functions collected from a national cohort study and a meta-analysis study, respectively. We investigated the spatiotemporal linear-regressed trends in PM2·5 and black carbon pollution and their associated premature deaths from 2000 to 2020, and the impact of wildfires on air quality and public health. FINDINGS Our results showed that PM2·5 and black carbon estimates are reliable, with sample-based cross-validated coefficients of determination of 0·82 and 0·80, respectively, for daily estimates (0·97 and 0·95 for monthly estimates). Both PM2·5 and black carbon in the USA showed significantly decreasing trends overall during 2000 to 2020 (22% decrease for PM2·5 and 11% decrease for black carbon), leading to a reduction of around 4200 premature deaths per year (95% CI 2960-5050). However, since 2010, the decreasing trends of fine particles and premature deaths have reversed to increase in the western USA (55% increase in PM2·5, 86% increase in black carbon, and increase of 670 premature deaths [460-810]), while remaining mostly unchanged in the eastern USA. The western USA showed large interannual fluctuations that were attributable to the increasing incidence of wildfires. Furthermore, the black carbon-to-PM2·5 mass ratio increased annually by 2·4% across the USA, mainly due to increasing wildfire emissions in the western USA and more rapid reductions of other components in the eastern USA, suggesting a potential increase in the relative toxicity of PM2·5. 100% of populated areas in the USA have experienced at least one day of PM2·5 pollution exceeding the daily air quality guideline level of 15 μg/m3 during 2000-2020, with 99% experiencing at least 7 days and 85% experiencing at least 30 days. The recent widespread wildfires have greatly increased the daily exposure risks in the western USA, and have also impacted the midwestern USA due to the long-range transport of smoke. INTERPRETATION Wildfires have become increasingly intensive and frequent in the western USA, resulting in a significant increase in smoke-related emissions in populated areas. This increase is likely to have contributed to a decline in air quality and an increase in attributable mortality. Reducing fire risk via effective policies besides mitigation of climate warming, such as wildfire prevention and management, forest restoration, and new revenue generation, could substantially improve air quality and public health in the coming decades. FUNDING National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Applied Science programme, NASA MODIS maintenance programme, NASA MAIA satellite mission programme, NASA GMAO core fund, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) GEO-XO project, NOAA Atmospheric Chemistry, Carbon Cycle, and Climate (AC4) programme, and NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wei
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Iowa Technology Institute, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Iowa Technology Institute, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Zhanqing Li
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Shobha Kondragunta
- Center for Satellite Applications and Research, NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Susan Anenberg
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Iowa Technology Institute, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Huanxin Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Iowa Technology Institute, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - David Diner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Jenny Hand
- Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Alexei Lyapustin
- Climate and Radiation Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Ralph Kahn
- Climate and Radiation Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Peter Colarco
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Arlindo da Silva
- Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - Charles Ichoku
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Wu X, Sverdrup E, Mastrandrea MD, Wara MW, Wager S. Low-intensity fires mitigate the risk of high-intensity wildfires in California's forests. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi4123. [PMID: 37948522 PMCID: PMC10637742 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi4123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The increasing frequency of severe wildfires demands a shift in landscape management to mitigate their consequences. The role of managed, low-intensity fire as a driver of beneficial fuel treatment in fire-adapted ecosystems has drawn interest in both scientific and policy venues. Using a synthetic control approach to analyze 20 years of satellite-based fire activity data across 124,186 square kilometers of forests in California, we provide evidence that low-intensity fires substantially reduce the risk of future high-intensity fires. In conifer forests, the risk of high-intensity fire is reduced by 64.0% [95% confidence interval (CI): 41.2 to 77.9%] in areas recently burned at low intensity relative to comparable unburned areas, and protective effects last for at least 6 years (lower bound of one-sided 95% CI: 6 years). These findings support a policy transition from fire suppression to restoration, through increased use of prescribed fire, cultural burning, and managed wildfire, of a presuppression and precolonial fire regime in California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Erik Sverdrup
- Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Michael W. Wara
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Wager
- Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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47
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Scharadin B, Zanocco C, Chistolini J. Food retail environments, extreme weather, and their overlap: Exploratory analysis and recommendations for U.S. food policy. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289282. [PMID: 37939027 PMCID: PMC10631631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, yet many of their impacts on human populations are not well understood. We examine the relationship between prior extreme weather events and food environment characteristics. To do so, we conduct a U.S. county-level analysis that assesses the association between extreme weather events and two common food retail environment dimensions. Overall, we find a relationship between higher levels of historic extreme weather exposure and lower food availability and accessibility. In addition, we find heterogeneity in association across the distribution of the number of extreme weather events and event type. Specifically, we find that more localized extreme weather events are more associated with a reduction of access and availability than broad geographic events. Our findings suggest that as extreme weather events amplify in intensity and increase in frequency, new approaches for mitigating less acute and longer-term impacts are needed to address how extreme weather may interact with and reinforce existing disparities in food environment factors. Furthermore, our research argues that integrated approaches to improving vulnerable food retail environments will become an important component of extreme weather planning and should be a consideration in both disaster- and food-related policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Scharadin
- Department of Economics, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, United States of America
| | - Chad Zanocco
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline Chistolini
- Department of Statistics, Colby College, Waterville, Maine, United States of America
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48
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Ding J, Han S, Wang X, Yao Q. Impact of air pollution changes and meteorology on asthma outpatient visits in a megacity in North China Plain. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21803. [PMID: 38027642 PMCID: PMC10651508 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The effects of air pollution and meteorology on asthma is less studied in North China Plain. In the last decade, air quality in this region is markedly mitigated. This study compared the short-term effects of air pollutants on daily asthma outpatient visits (AOV) within different sex and age groups from 2014 to 2016 and 2017-2019 in Tianjin, with the application of distributed lag nonlinear model. Moreover, relative humidity (RH) and temperature as well as the synergistic impact with air pollutants were assessed. Air pollutants-associated risk with linear (different reference values were used) and non-linear assumptions were compared. In 2014-2016, PM10 and PM2.5 exhibited a larger impact on AOV, with the corresponding cumulative excess risks (ER) for every 10 μg/m3 increase at 1.04 % (95%CI:0.67-1.40 %, similarly hereafter) and 0.79 % (0.35-1.23 %), as well as increased to 43 % (26-63 %) and 20 % (10-31 %) at severe pollution. In 2017-2019, NO2 and MDA8 O3 exhibited a larger impact on AOV, with a cumulative ER for every 10 μg/m3 increase at 1.0 (0.63-1.4 %) and 0.36 % (0.15-0.57 %), with corresponding values of 7.9 % (4.8-11 %) and 5.6 % (2.3-9.0 %), at severe pollution. SO2 associated risk was only significant from 2014 to 2016. Cold effect, including extremely low temperature exposure and sharp temperature drop could generate a pronounced increase in AOV at 9.6 % (3.8-16 %) and 24 % (9.1-41 %), respectively. Moderate low temperature combined with air pollutants can enhance AOV during winter. Higher temperature in spring and autumn could trigger asthma by increasing pollen levels. Low RH resulted in AOV increase by 4.6 % (2.4-6.9), while higher RH generated AOV increase by 3.4 % (1.6-5.3). Females, children, and older adults tended to have a higher risk for air pollution, non-optimum temperature, and RH. As air pollution-associated risks on AOV tends to be weaker due to air quality improvement in recent years, the impact of extreme meteorological condition amidst climate change on asthma visits warrants further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ding
- Tianjin Environmental Meteorological Center, Tianjin 300070, China
- CMA-NKU Cooperative Laboratory for Atmospheric Environment-Health Research, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Suqin Han
- Tianjin Environmental Meteorological Center, Tianjin 300070, China
- CMA-NKU Cooperative Laboratory for Atmospheric Environment-Health Research, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Xiaojia Wang
- Tianjin Environmental Meteorological Center, Tianjin 300070, China
- CMA-NKU Cooperative Laboratory for Atmospheric Environment-Health Research, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Qing Yao
- Tianjin Environmental Meteorological Center, Tianjin 300070, China
- CMA-NKU Cooperative Laboratory for Atmospheric Environment-Health Research, Tianjin 300070, China
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49
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Walker ES, Stewart T, Jones D. Fine particulate matter infiltration at Western Montana residences during wildfire season. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 896:165238. [PMID: 37392877 PMCID: PMC10529724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Wildfire air pollution is a growing public health concern as wildfires increase in size, intensity, and duration in the United States. The public is often encouraged to stay indoors during wildfire smoke events to reduce exposure. However, there is limited information on how much wildfire smoke infiltrates indoors at residences and what household/behavioral characteristics contribute to higher infiltration. We assessed fine particulate matter (PM2.5) infiltration into Western Montana residences during wildfire season. METHODS We measured continuous outdoor and indoor PM2.5 concentrations from July-October 2022 at 20 residences in Western Montana during wildfire season using low-cost PM2.5 sensors. We used paired outdoor/indoor PM2.5 data from each household to calculate infiltration efficiency (Finf; range 0-1; higher values indicate more outdoor PM2.5 infiltration to the indoor environment) using previously validated methods. Analyses were conducted for all households combined and for various household subgroups. RESULTS Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) daily outdoor PM2.5 at the households was 3.7 μg/m3 (2.1, 7.1) during the entire study period and 29.0 μg/m3 (19.0, 49.4) during a 2-week period in September impacted by wildfire smoke. Median daily indoor PM2.5 at the households was 2.5 μg/m3 (1.3, 5.5) overall and 10.4 μg/m3 (5.6, 21.0) during the wildfire period. Overall Finf was 0.34 (95 % Confidence Interval [95%CI]: 0.33, 0.35) with lower values during the wildfire period (0.32; 95%CI: 0.28, 0.36) versus non-wildfire period (0.39; 95%CI: 0.37, 0.42). Indoor PM2.5 concentrations and Finf varied substantially across household subgroups such as household income, age of the home, presence of air conditioning units, and use of portable air cleaners. CONCLUSIONS Indoor PM2.5 was substantially higher during wildfire-impacted periods versus the rest of the study. Indoor PM2.5 and Finf were highly variable across households. Our results highlight potentially modifiable behaviors and characteristics that can be used in targeted intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan S Walker
- Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA.
| | - Taylor Stewart
- Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Dave Jones
- Center for Population Health Research, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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50
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Quesnel Seipp K, Maurer T, Elias M, Saksa P, Keske C, Oleson K, Egoh B, Cleveland R, Nyelele C, Goncalves N, Hemes K, Wyrsch P, Lewis D, Chung MG, Guo H, Conklin M, Bales R. A multi-benefit framework for funding forest management in fire-driven ecosystems across the Western U.S. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118270. [PMID: 37354586 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Forests across the Western U.S. face unprecedented risk due to historic fire exclusion, environmental degradation, and climate change. Forest management activities like ecological thinning, prescribed burning, and meadow restoration can improve landscape resilience. Resilient forests are at a lower risk of high-intensity wildfires, drought, insects, and other disturbances and provide a wide range of benefits to ecosystems and communities. However, insufficient funding limits implementation of critically needed management. To address this challenge, we propose a multi-benefit framework that leverages the diverse benefits of forest management to engage a suite of stakeholders in sharing project costs. We take a three-pronged approach to develop our conceptual model: examining existing frameworks for environmental project implementation, conducting a literature review of forest management benefits, and evaluating case studies. Through our framework, we describe the steps to engage partners, starting by identifying benefits that could accrue to potential public and private beneficiaries, and moving through an iterative and collaborative process of valuing benefits, which can accrue over different spatial and temporal scales, in close consultation with potential beneficiaries themselves. The aim of this approach is to stack funding streams associated with each valued benefit to fully fund a given forest management project. The multi-benefit framework has the potential to unlock new sources of funding to meet the exceptional challenges of climate and wildfire disturbances. We apply the framework to dry forests of the Western U.S., but opportunities exist for expanding and modifying this approach to any geography or ecosystem where management provides multiple benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tessa Maurer
- Blue Forest Conservation, 5960 S Land Park Dr #1387, Sacramento, CA, 95822, USA
| | - Micah Elias
- Blue Forest Conservation, 5960 S Land Park Dr #1387, Sacramento, CA, 95822, USA; University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Phil Saksa
- Blue Forest Conservation, 5960 S Land Park Dr #1387, Sacramento, CA, 95822, USA
| | - Catherine Keske
- University of California Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Kirsten Oleson
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2500 Campus Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Benis Egoh
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Rachael Cleveland
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2500 Campus Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Charity Nyelele
- University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA; University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Nicolas Goncalves
- University of California Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Kyle Hemes
- Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Peter Wyrsch
- Blue Forest Conservation, 5960 S Land Park Dr #1387, Sacramento, CA, 95822, USA
| | - David Lewis
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 2500 Campus Rd, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Min Gon Chung
- University of California Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Han Guo
- University of California Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Martha Conklin
- University of California Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Roger Bales
- University of California Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
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