""We estimate that wildfire smoke over the past decade has killed around 40,000 Americans a year. That's roughly the same as homicides or vehicle accidents," said Professor Marshall Burke, one of the study's authors. "You cause more fires. You cause more smoke. We estimate by mid-century, so over the next 25 years or so, that health burden could go from 40,000 deaths per year to 70,000 deaths per year.""
""We're talking about trees. We're talking about structures, homes and things like that are burning all at the same time," said Dr. Cyrus Rangan, who is also the assistant medical director for the California Poison Control System. "So when we look at the composition of smoke, it's not just about the small particles that may be in there, but there may be a lot of other chemicals as well.""
Wildfire smoke exposure currently causes about 40,000 deaths in the United States each year. That mortality burden is comparable to deaths from homicides or vehicle accidents. Continued climate-driven increases in wildfire activity could raise annual deaths to roughly 70,000 by mid-century, with the largest increases occurring in California (about 5,000 additional deaths). Smoke can travel thousands of miles and impact populations far from fire zones. Smoke contains a complex mixture of toxic chemicals from burning trees, structures, and homes. Fine and ultrafine particles can penetrate the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and damage organs including the heart and brain. Tracking smoke-related deaths is difficult because health effects can appear delayed.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]