Climate-driven wildfire events are rapidly transferring harmful particulate matter containing toxic chemicals over long distances, compromising air quality in the New Jersey and New York City areas, according to Rutgers Health research. Published in Environmental Science & Technology and to be featured on the cover of the journal's next issue, the study assessed the physical and chemical characteristics of wildfire-related particulate matter and was the first to report this characterization from a climate-driven wildfire event in the densely populated Northeast region. Particulate matter is a leading environmental factor in the global burden of disease, with climate-driven wildfires being a major source.
In the U.S., climate change-driven wildfires are reversing decade-long improvements in ambient air quality.
" Jose Guillermo "Memo" Cedeño Laurent, lead author, assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and director of the Rutgers Climate Adaptive and Restorative Environments Lab The issue is pressing as there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting wildfire pollution is associated with worsened health impacts compared to non-wildfire pollution. Emerging evidence includes recent epidemiological studies linking the wildfire event to respiratory and cardiovascular emergency visits in New York City, although little is known about the mechanisms behind those impacts. Using advanced physicochemical analysis of the particulate matter, researchers discovered l.