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Kiely L, Neyestani SE, Binte-Shahid S, York RA, Porter WC, Barsanti KC. California Case Study of Wildfires and Prescribed Burns: PM 2.5 Emissions, Concentrations, and Implications for Human Health. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:5210-5219. [PMID: 38483184 PMCID: PMC10976878 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06421] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Wildfires are a significant threat to human health, in part through degraded air quality. Prescribed burning can reduce wildfire severity but can also lead to an increase in air pollution. The complexities of fires and atmospheric processes lead to uncertainties when predicting the air quality impacts of fire and make it difficult to fully assess the costs and benefits of an expansion of prescribed fire. By modeling differences in emissions, surface conditions, and meteorology between wildfire and prescribed burns, we present a novel comparison of the air quality impacts of these fire types under specific scenarios. One wildfire and two prescribed burn scenarios were considered, with one prescribed burn scenario optimized for potential smoke exposure. We found that PM2.5 emissions were reduced by 52%, from 0.27 to 0.14 Tg, when fires burned under prescribed burn conditions, considerably reducing PM2.5 concentrations. Excess short-term mortality from PM2.5 exposure was 40 deaths for fires under wildfire conditions and 39 and 15 deaths for fires under the default and optimized prescribed burn scenarios, respectively. Our findings suggest prescribed burns, particularly when planned during conditions that minimize smoke exposure, could be a net benefit for the impacts of wildfires on air quality and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kiely
- Chemical
and Environmental Engineering, University
of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Now
at: Scion, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand
| | - Soroush E. Neyestani
- Department
of Environmental Sciences, University of
California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Samiha Binte-Shahid
- Chemical
and Environmental Engineering, University
of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Robert A. York
- Department
of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - William C. Porter
- Department
of Environmental Sciences, University of
California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Kelley C. Barsanti
- Chemical
and Environmental Engineering, University
of California Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
- Atmospheric
Chemistry Observations and Modeling, U.S.
National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80301, United States
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Barbosa JV, Alvim-Ferraz MCM, Martins FG, Sousa SIV. Occupational exposure of firefighters to hazardous pollutants during prescribed fires in Portugal. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141355. [PMID: 38331261 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141355] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Firefighters perform high-risk activities and during the course of their functions are highly exposed to a wide range of occupational hazards, including air pollution. Thus, this study aimed to assess the exposure of firefighters in prescribed wildland fires and their occupational exposure, as well as to identify and chemically characterise the particles collected during wildland firefighting and inside fire stations. Exposure to wildfire smoke was evaluated in 7 prescribed fires in Portugal, 2 in the north and 5 in the south of Viseu district. The concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO and VOCs were monitored and exceedances to occupational exposure limit values were identified. Moreover, the chemical composition of PM2.5 was analysed. The results showed that firefighters were exposed to high concentrations of these pollutants during prescribed fires and that, in some cases, exceeded occupational exposure limits, both for time-weighted average concentrations for an 8-h working day (a time-weighted average, TWA) of PM2.5, and for short-term exposure values (STEL) of NO2 and SO2. Despite being exposed to very high concentrations of CO, no exceedances to the occupational exposure values were observed. FT-IR and SEM-EDS allowed to chemically characterise the composition of the particles collected inside the fire stations and also during wildland fires, identifying mainly quartz, aluminium and magnesium silicates, characteristic of earth's crust constituents. and also, fibres that have undergone combustion. Concluding, firefighters' exposure to high concentrations of harmful pollutants, can lead to the degradation of their respiratory health. It is therefore extremely important to increase existing knowledge and conduct further studies, especially longitudinal ones, that can assess their lung function. This will allow an understanding of the impacts of smoke on firefighters' health and develop effective strategies to protect them during wildland firefighting operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana V Barbosa
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria C M Alvim-Ferraz
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernando G Martins
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sofia I V Sousa
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal.
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Raab H, Moyer J, Afrin S, Garcia-Menendez F, Ward-Caviness CK. Prescribed fires, smoke exposure, and hospital utilization among heart failure patients. Environ Health 2023; 22:86. [PMID: 38087300 PMCID: PMC10717133 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01032-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prescribed fires often have ecological benefits, but their environmental health risks have been infrequently studied. We investigated associations between residing near a prescribed fire, wildfire smoke exposure, and heart failure (HF) patients' hospital utilization. METHODS We used electronic health records from January 2014 to December 2016 in a North Carolina hospital-based cohort to determine HF diagnoses, primary residence, and hospital utilization. Using a cross-sectional study design, we associated the prescribed fire occurrences within 1, 2, and 5 km of the patients' primary residence with the number of hospital visits and 7- and 30-day readmissions. To compare prescribed fire associations with those observed for wildfire smoke, we also associated zip code-level smoke density data designed to capture wildfire smoke emissions with hospital utilization amongst HF patients. Quasi-Poisson regression models were used for the number of hospital visits, while zero-inflated Poisson regression models were used for readmissions. All models were adjusted for age, sex, race, and neighborhood socioeconomic status and included an offset for follow-up time. The results are the percent change and the 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS Associations between prescribed fire occurrences and hospital visits were generally null, with the few associations observed being with prescribed fires within 5 and 2 km of the primary residence in the negative direction but not the more restrictive 1 km radius. However, exposure to medium or heavy smoke (primarily from wildfires) at the zip code level was associated with both 7-day (8.5% increase; 95% CI = 1.5%, 16.0%) and 30-day readmissions (5.4%; 95% CI = 2.3%, 8.5%), and to a lesser degree, hospital visits (1.5%; 95% CI: 0.0%, 3.0%) matching previous studies. CONCLUSIONS Area-level smoke exposure driven by wildfires is positively associated with hospital utilization but not proximity to prescribed fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Raab
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Human Studies Building, 104 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Joshua Moyer
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Human Studies Building, 104 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
| | - Sadia Afrin
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
- Present address: MIT Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Fernando Garcia-Menendez
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA
| | - Cavin K Ward-Caviness
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Human Studies Building, 104 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
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Tayari S, Taghikhah F, Bharathy G, Voinov A. Designing a conceptual framework for strategic selection of Bushfire mitigation approaches. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 344:118486. [PMID: 37413725 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118486] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Fires are an important aspect of environmental ecology; however, they are also one of the most widespread destructive forces impacting natural ecosystems as well as property, human health, water and other resources. Urban sprawl is driving the construction of new homes and facilities into fire-vulnerable areas. This growth, combined with a warmer climate, is likely to make the consequences of wildfires more severe. To reduce wildfires and associated risks, a variety of hazard reduction practices are implemented, such as prescribed burning (PB) and mechanical fuel load reduction (MFLR). PB can reduce forest fuel load; however, it has adverse effects on air quality and human health, and should not be applied close to residential areas due to risks of fire escape. On the other hand, MFLR releases less greenhouse gasses and does not impose risks to residential areas. However, it is more expensive to implement. We suggest that environmental, economic and social costs of various mitigation tools should be taken into account when choosing the most appropriate fire mitigation approach and propose a conceptual framework, which can do it. We show that applying GIS methods and life cycle assessment we can produce a more reasonable comparison that can, for example, include the benefits that can be generated by using collected biomass for bioenergy or in timber industries. This framework can assist decision makers to find the optimal combinations of hazard reduction practices for various specific conditions and locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Tayari
- School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
| | - Firouzeh Taghikhah
- School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Business Analytics, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Gnana Bharathy
- School of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Alexey Voinov
- Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Netherlands
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Barros B, Oliveira M, Morais S. Continent-based systematic review of the short-term health impacts of wildfire emissions. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2023; 26:387-415. [PMID: 37469022 DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2023.2236548] [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: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
This review systematically gathers and provides an analysis of pollutants levels emitted from wildfire (WF) and their impact on short-term health effects of affected populations. The available literature was searched according to Population, Exposure, Comparator, Outcome, and Study design (PECOS) database defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and a meta-analysis was conducted whenever possible. Data obtained through PECOS characterized information from the USA, Europe, Australia, and some Asian countries; South American countries were seldom characterized, and no data were available for Africa and Russia. Extremely high levels of pollutants, mostly of fine fraction of particulate matter (PM) and ozone, were associated with intense WF emissions in North America, Oceania, and Asia and reported to exceed several-fold the WHO guidelines. Adverse health outcomes include emergency department visits and hospital admissions for cardiorespiratory diseases as well as mortality. Despite the heterogeneity among exposure and health assessment methods, all-cause mortality, and specific-cause mortality were significantly associated with WF emissions in most of the reports. Globally, a significant association was found for all-cause respiratory outcomes including asthma, but mixed results were noted for cardiovascular-related effects. For the latter, estimates were only significant several days after WF emissions, suggesting a more delayed impact on the heart. Different research gaps are presented, including the need for the application of standardized protocols for assessment of both exposure and adverse health risks. Mitigation actions also need to be strengthened, including dedicated efforts to communicate with the affected populations, to engage them for adoption of protective behaviors and measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bela Barros
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia Do Porto, Instituto Politécnico Do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Marta Oliveira
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia Do Porto, Instituto Politécnico Do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Simone Morais
- REQUIMTE/LAQV, Instituto Superior de Engenharia Do Porto, Instituto Politécnico Do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Ansley RJ, Rivera‐Monroy VH, Griffis‐Kyle K, Hoagland B, Emert A, Fagin T, Loss SR, McCarthy HR, Smith NG, Waring EF. Assessing impacts of climate change on selected foundation species and ecosystem services in the South‐Central USA. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. James Ansley
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management Department Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA
| | - Victor H. Rivera‐Monroy
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, College of the Coast and Environment Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Louisiana USA
| | - Kerry Griffis‐Kyle
- Department of Natural Resources Management Texas Tech University Lubbock Texas USA
| | - Bruce Hoagland
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Amanda Emert
- The Institute of Environmental and Human Health Texas Tech University Lubbock Texas USA
| | - Todd Fagin
- The Center for Spatial Analysis University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Scott R. Loss
- Natural Resource Ecology and Management Department Oklahoma State University Stillwater Oklahoma USA
| | - Heather R. McCarthy
- The Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology University of Oklahoma Norman Oklahoma USA
| | - Nicholas G. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences Texas Tech University Lubbock Texas USA
| | - Elizabeth F. Waring
- Department of Natural Sciences Northeastern State University Tahlequah Oklahoma USA
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Liu Y, Francis RA, Wooster MJ, Grosvenor MJ, Yan S, Roberts G. Systematic Mapping and Review of Landscape Fire Smoke (LFS) Exposure Impacts on Insects. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 51:871-884. [PMID: 36130330 PMCID: PMC9585373 DOI: 10.1093/ee/nvac069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Landscape fire activity is changing in many regions because of climate change. Smoke emissions from landscape fires contain many harmful air pollutants, and beyond the potential hazard posed to human health, these also have ecological impacts. Insects play essential roles in most ecosystems worldwide, and some work suggests they may also be sensitive to smoke exposure. There is therefore a need for a comprehensive review of smoke impacts on insects. We systematically reviewed the scientific literature from 1930 to 2022 to synthesize the current state of knowledge of the impacts of smoke exposure from landscape fires on the development, behavior, and mortality of insects. We found: (1) 42 relevant studies that met our criteria, with 29% focused on the United States of America and 19% on Canada; (2) of these, 40 insect species were discussed, all of which were sensitive to smoke pollution; (3) most of the existing research focuses on how insect behavior responds to landscape fire smoke (LFS); (4) species react differently to smoke exposure, with for example some species being attracted to the smoke (e.g., some beetles) while others are repelled (e.g., some bees). This review consolidates the current state of knowledge on how smoke impacts insects and highlights areas that may need further investigation. This is particularly relevant since smoke impacts on insect communities will likely worsen in some areas due to increasing levels of biomass burning resulting from the joint pressures of climate change, land use change, and more intense land management involving fire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Liu
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, Bush House, 40 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Robert A Francis
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, Bush House, 40 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
| | - Martin J Wooster
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, Bush House, 40 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Mark J Grosvenor
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, Bush House, 40 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
- Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- NERC National Centre for Earth Observation, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Su Yan
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial CollegeLondon, London SW7 2BX, UK
| | - Gareth Roberts
- Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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Nowell HK, Wirks C, Val Martin M, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, Uejio CK, Holmes CD. Impacts of Sugarcane Fires on Air Quality and Public Health in South Florida. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:87004. [PMID: 35929976 PMCID: PMC9354838 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preharvest burning of sugarcane is a common agricultural practice in Florida, which produces fine particulate matter [particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5)] that is associated with higher mortality. OBJECTIVES We estimated premature mortality associated with exposure to PM2.5 from sugarcane burning in people age 25 y and above for 20 counties in South Florida. METHODS We combined information from an atmospheric dispersion model, satellites, and surface measurements to quantify PM2.5 concentrations in South Florida and the fraction of PM2.5 from sugarcane fires. From these concentrations, estimated mortalities attributable to PM2.5 from sugarcane fires were calculated by census tract using health impact functions derived from literature for six causes of death linked to PM2.5. Confidence intervals (CI) are provided based on Monte Carlo simulations that propagate uncertainty in the emissions, dispersion model, health impact functions, and demographic data. RESULTS Sugarcane fires emitted an amount of primary PM2.5 similar to that of motor vehicles in Florida. PM2.5 from sugarcane fires is estimated to contribute to mortality rates within the Florida Sugarcane Growing Region (SGR) by 0.4 death per 100,000 people per year (95% CI: 0.3, 1.6 per 100,000). These estimates imply 2.5 deaths per year across South Florida were associated with PM2.5 from sugarcane fires (95% CI: 1.2, 6.1), with 0.16 in the SGR (95% CI: 0.09, 0.6) and 0.72 in Palm Beach County (95% CI: 0.17, 2.2). DISCUSSION PM2.5 from sugarcane fires was estimated to contribute to mortality risk across South Florida, particularly in the SGR. This is consistent with prior studies that documented impacts of sugarcane fire on air quality but did not quantify mortality. Additional health impacts of sugarcane fires, which were not quantified here, include exacerbating nonfatal health conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular problems. Harvesting sugarcane without field burning would likely reduce PM2.5 and health burdens in this region. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9957.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly K. Nowell
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Charles Wirks
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Maria Val Martin
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Aaron van Donkelaar
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Randall V. Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Christopher D. Holmes
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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9
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Kondo MC, Reid CE, Mockrin MH, Heilman WE, Long D. Socio-demographic and health vulnerability in prescribed-burn exposed versus unexposed counties near the National Forest System. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150564. [PMID: 34582859 PMCID: PMC9063456 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Prescribed fire is an increasingly important tool in restoring ecological conditions and reducing uncontrolled wildfire. Prescribed burn techniques could reduce public health impacts associated with wildfire smoke exposure. However, there have been few assessments of the health impacts of prescribed burning, and potential vulnerabilities among populations exposed to smoke from prescribed fires. Our study area focused on counties in and near U.S. National Forests - a set of lands distributed across the U.S. In county-level analyses, we compared the sociodemographic and health characteristics of areas that were exposed with those that were not exposed to prescribe burns during the years 2010-2019 on a national level and within three regions. In addition, using spatial error regression models, we looked for associations between prescribed fire exposure and health behaviors and outcomes while controlling for spatial autocorrelation. On a national level, we found disproportionate prescribed fire exposure in rural counties with higher percentage mobile home and vacant housing units, and higher percentage African-American and white populations. Regionally, we found evidence of disproportionate exposure to prescribed burns among counties with lower percentage white population, higher percentage Hispanic population and mobile homes in the southern region, and to high poverty counties with high vacancy in the western region. These findings could indicate that vulnerable populations face potential health risks from prescribed burning smoke exposure, but also that they are not missing out on the benefits of prescribed burning, which could involve considerably lower smoke exposure compared to uncontrolled wildfire. In addition, in regression analyses, we found no evidence of disproportionate health burden in exposed compared to unexposed counties. Awareness of these patterns could influence both large-scale or institutional polices about prescribed burning practice, and could be used to build decision-making factors into modeling tools and smoke management plans, as well as community-engagement around wildfire risk reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Kondo
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 100 N. 20th St, Ste 205, Philadelphia, PA 19103, United States of America.
| | - Colleen E Reid
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder, GUGG 110, 260 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0260, United States of America.
| | - Miranda H Mockrin
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 5523 Research Park Dr, Suite 350, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States of America.
| | - Warren E Heilman
- Northern Research Station - Climate, Fire, and Carbon Cycle Sciences, USDA Forest Service, 3101 Technology Blvd., Suite F, Lansing, MI 48910, United States of America.
| | - David Long
- Applied Population Laboratory, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 316 Agriculture Hall, 1450 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, United States of America.
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10
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Ning J, Di X, Yu H, Yuan S, Yang G. Spatial distribution of particulate matter 2.5 released from surface fuel combustion of Pinus koraiensis - A laboratory simulation study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 287:117282. [PMID: 34022686 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117282] [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: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
High concentration particulate matter 2.5 released from forest fires, in addition to direct burns and asphyxia, PM2.5 is one of the main pollutants which threaten the safety of forest fire fighter. Therefore, to assess spatial distribution of PM2.5, a simulation study was conducted. Fuel beds with different moisture contents and loads were constructed. 144 times burning experiments were carried out under different wind speeds by using wind tunnel device. PM2.5 particles at different spatial points were collected and calculated. The results show that, in the two of three variables interaction between wind speed, fuel load, and, except fuel moisture content, wind speed and fuel load are positively correlated with the PM2.5 concentrations. From PM2.5 concentration which collected at each point in the horizontal and vertical directions, the overall trend is that PM2.5 concentration increases along the horizontal downwind direction (C and D higer than A and B) and the vertical upward direction (A and C higer than B and D) Based on BP neural network, the spatial distribution model of PM2.5 concentration with single hidden layer was established. The prediction accuracy of modeling samples and validation samples is balanced when hidden layer node is 5. This study will help to make reference for PM2.5 occupational exposure standards, forest fire smoke management and forest fire management in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jibin Ning
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Xueying Di
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Hongzhou Yu
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Sibo Yuan
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China
| | - Guang Yang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management, Ministry of Education, Harbin, 150040, China.
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11
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Borchers-Arriagada N, Bowman DMJS, Price O, Palmer AJ, Samson S, Clarke H, Sepulveda G, Johnston FH. Smoke health costs and the calculus for wildfires fuel management: a modelling study. Lancet Planet Health 2021; 5:e608-e619. [PMID: 34508682 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(21)00198-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Smoke from uncontrolled wildfires and deliberately set prescribed burns has the potential to produce substantial population exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2·5). We aimed to estimate historical health costs attributable to smoke-related PM2·5 from all landscape fires combined, and the relative contributions from wildfires and prescribed burns, in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS We quantified PM2·5 from all landscape fire smoke (LFS) and estimated the attributable health burden and daily health costs between July 1, 2000, and June 30, 2020, for all of New South Wales and by smaller geographical regions. We combined these results with a spatial database of landscape fires to estimate the relative total and per hectare health costs attributable to PM2·5 from wildfire smoke (WFS) and prescribed burning smoke (PBS). FINDINGS We estimated health costs of AU$ 2013 million (95% CI 718-3354; calculated with the 2018 value of the AU$). $1653 million (82·1%) of costs were attributable to WFS and $361 million (17·9%) to PBS. The per hectare health cost was of $105 for all LFS days ($104 for WFS and $477 for PBS). In sensitivity analyses, the per hectare costs associated with PBS was consistently higher than for WFS under a range of different scenarios. INTERPRETATION WFS and PBS produce substantial health costs. Total health costs are higher for WFS, but per hectare costs are higher for PBS. This should be considered when assessing the trade-offs between prescribed burns and wildfires. FUNDING None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Borchers-Arriagada
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia; New South Wales Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - David M J S Bowman
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Owen Price
- New South Wales Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew J Palmer
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia; Centre for Health Policy, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Stephanie Samson
- New South Wales Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Hamish Clarke
- New South Wales Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Gonzalo Sepulveda
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia.
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12
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Respiratory Impacts of Wildland Fire Smoke: Future Challenges and Policy Opportunities. An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2021; 18:921-930. [PMID: 33938390 PMCID: PMC8456726 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202102-148st] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildland fires are diminishing air quality on a seasonal and regional basis, raising concerns about respiratory health risks to the public and occupational groups. This American Thoracic Society (ATS) workshop was convened in 2019 to meet the growing health threat of wildland fire smoke. The workshop brought together a multidisciplinary group of 19 experts, including wildland fire managers, public health officials, epidemiologists, toxicologists, and pediatric and adult pulmonologists. The workshop examined the following four major topics: 1) the science of wildland fire incidence and fire management, 2) the respiratory and cardiovascular health effects of wildland fire smoke exposure, 3) communication strategies to address these health risks, and 4) actions to address wildland fire health impacts. Through formal presentations followed by group discussion, workshop participants identified top priorities for fire management, research, communication, and public policy to address health risks of wildland fires. The workshop concluded that short-term exposure to wildland smoke causes acute respiratory health effects, especially among those with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Research is needed to understand long-term health effects of repeated smoke exposures across fire seasons for children, adults, and highly exposed occupational groups (especially firefighters). Other research priorities include fire data collection and modeling, toxicology of different fire fuel sources, and the efficacy of health protective measures to prevent respiratory effects of smoke exposure. The workshop committee recommends a unified federal response to the growing problem of wildland fires, including investment in fire behavior and smoke air quality modeling, research on the health impacts of smoke, and development of robust clinical and public health communication tools.
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13
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Kelly KE, Xing WW, Sayahi T, Mitchell L, Becnel T, Gaillardon PE, Meyer M, Whitaker RT. Community-Based Measurements Reveal Unseen Differences during Air Pollution Episodes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:120-128. [PMID: 33325230 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is linked to numerous adverse health effects. Pollution episodes, such as wildfires, can lead to substantial increases in PM2.5 levels. However, sparse regulatory measurements provide an incomplete understanding of pollution gradients. Here, we demonstrate an infrastructure that integrates community-based measurements from a network of low-cost PM2.5 sensors with rigorous calibration and a Gaussian process model to understand neighborhood-scale PM2.5 concentrations during three pollution episodes (July 4, 2018, fireworks; July 5 and 6, 2018, wildfire; Jan 3-7, 2019, persistent cold air pool, PCAP). The firework/wildfire events included 118 sensors in 84 locations, while the PCAP event included 218 sensors in 138 locations. The model results accurately predict reference measurements during the fireworks (n: 16, hourly root-mean-square error, RMSE, 12.3-21.5 μg/m3, n(normalized)RMSE: 14.9-24%), the wildfire (n: 46, RMSE: 2.6-4.0 μg/m3; nRMSE: 13.1-22.9%), and the PCAP (n: 96, RMSE: 4.9-5.7 μg/m3; nRMSE: 20.2-21.3%). They also revealed dramatic geospatial differences in PM2.5 concentrations that are not apparent when only considering government measurements or viewing the US Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow visualizations. Complementing the PM2.5 estimates and visualizations are highly resolved uncertainty maps. Together, these results illustrate the potential for low-cost sensor networks that combined with a data-fusion algorithm and appropriate calibration and training can dynamically and with improved accuracy estimate PM2.5 concentrations during pollution episodes. These highly resolved uncertainty estimates can provide a much-needed strategy to communicate uncertainty to end users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry E Kelly
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, 3250 MEB, 50 S. Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Wei W Xing
- Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Beihang University, Haidan District, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Tofigh Sayahi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, 3250 MEB, 50 S. Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
- Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Logan Mitchell
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Tom Becnel
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Gaillardon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Miriah Meyer
- School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
| | - Ross T Whitaker
- School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States
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14
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Altshuler SL, Zhang Q, Kleinman MT, Garcia-Menendez F, Moore CTT, Hough ML, Stevenson ED, Chow JC, Jaffe DA, Watson JG. Wildfire and prescribed burning impacts on air quality in the United States. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2020; 70:961-970. [PMID: 32845818 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2020.1813217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California , Davis, CA, USA
| | - Michael T Kleinman
- Environmental Toxicology and Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory in the Department of Community and Environmental Medicine, University of California , Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Fernando Garcia-Menendez
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Charles Thomas Tom Moore
- Western Regional Air Partnership (WRAP), Western States Air Resources Council , Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Merlyn L Hough
- Lane Regional Air Protection Agency , Springfield-Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Eric D Stevenson
- Meteorology and Measurement, Bay Area Air Quality Management District , San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Judith C Chow
- Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute , Reno, NV, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Daniel A Jaffe
- Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John G Watson
- Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute , Reno, NV, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG), Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Xi'an, People's Republic of China
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15
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Fire Behavior, Fuel Consumption, and Turbulence and Energy Exchange during Prescribed Fires in Pitch Pine Forests. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11030242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prescribed fires are conducted extensively in pine-dominated forests throughout the Eastern USA to reduce the risk of wildfires and maintain fire-adapted ecosystems. We asked how fire behavior and fuel consumption during prescribed fires are associated with turbulence and energy fluxes, which affect the dispersion of smoke and transport of firebrands, potentially impacting local communities and transportation corridors. We estimated fuel consumption and measured above-canopy turbulence and energy fluxes using eddy covariance during eight prescribed fires ranging in behavior from low-intensity backing fires to high-intensity head fires in pine-dominated forests of the New Jersey Pinelands, USA. Consumption was greatest for fine litter, intermediate for understory vegetation, and least for 1 + 10 hour wood, and was significantly correlated with pre-burn loading for all fuel types. Crown torching and canopy fuel consumption occurred only during high-intensity fires. Above-canopy air temperature, vertical wind velocity, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in buoyant plumes above fires were enhanced up to 20.0, 3.9 and 4.1 times, respectively, compared to values measured simultaneously on control towers in unburned areas. When all prescribed fires were considered together, differences between above-canopy measurements in burn and control areas (Δ values) for maximum Δ air temperatures were significantly correlated with maximum Δ vertical wind velocities at all (10 Hz to 1 minute) integration times, and with Δ TKE. Maximum 10 minute averaged sensible heat fluxes measured above canopy were lower during low-intensity backing fires than for high-intensity head fires, averaging 1.8 MJ m−2 vs. 10.6 MJ m−2, respectively. Summed Δ sensible heat values averaged 70 ± 17%, and 112 ± 42% of convective heat flux estimated from fuel consumption for low-intensity and high-intensity fires, respectively. Surprisingly, there were only weak relationships between the consumption of surface and understory fuels and Δ air temperature, Δ wind velocities, or Δ TKE values in buoyant plumes. Overall, low-intensity fires were effective at reducing fuels on the forest floor, but less effective at consuming understory vegetation and ladder fuels, while high-intensity head fires resulted in greater consumption of ladder and canopy fuels but were also associated with large increases in turbulence and heat flux above the canopy. Our research quantifies some of the tradeoffs involved between fire behavior and turbulent transfer of smoke and firebrands during effective fuel reduction treatments and can assist wildland fire managers when planning and conducting prescribed fires.
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Zou Y, O'Neill SM, Larkin NK, Alvarado EC, Solomon R, Mass C, Liu Y, Odman MT, Shen H. Machine Learning-Based Integration of High-Resolution Wildfire Smoke Simulations and Observations for Regional Health Impact Assessment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E2137. [PMID: 31212933 PMCID: PMC6617359 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16122137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Large wildfires are an increasing threat to the western U.S. In the 2017 fire season, extensive wildfires occurred across the Pacific Northwest (PNW). To evaluate public health impacts of wildfire smoke, we integrated numerical simulations and observations for regional fire events during August-September of 2017. A one-way coupled Weather Research and Forecasting and Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system was used to simulate fire smoke transport and dispersion. To reduce modeling bias in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and to optimize smoke exposure estimates, we integrated modeling results with the high-resolution Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction satellite aerosol optical depth and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency AirNow ground-level monitoring PM2.5 concentrations. Three machine learning-based data fusion algorithms were applied: An ordinary multi-linear regression method, a generalized boosting method, and a random forest (RF) method. 10-Fold cross-validation found improved surface PM2.5 estimation after data integration and bias correction, especially with the RF method. Lastly, to assess transient health effects of fire smoke, we applied the optimized high-resolution PM2.5 exposure estimate in a short-term exposure-response function. Total estimated regional mortality attributable to PM2.5 exposure during the smoke episode was 183 (95% confidence interval: 0, 432), with 85% of the PM2.5 pollution and 95% of the consequent multiple-cause mortality contributed by fire emissions. This application demonstrates both the profound health impacts of fire smoke over the PNW and the need for a high-performance fire smoke forecasting and reanalysis system to reduce public health risks of smoke hazards in fire-prone regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Zou
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Susan M O'Neill
- Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, U.S. Forest Service, Seattle, WA 98103, USA.
| | - Narasimhan K Larkin
- Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory, U.S. Forest Service, Seattle, WA 98103, USA.
| | - Ernesto C Alvarado
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Robert Solomon
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Clifford Mass
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
| | - Yang Liu
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - M Talat Odman
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Huizhong Shen
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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