According to recent research from Rutgers Health, climate-related wildfires are swiftly transporting harmful particles laced with toxic substances across great distances, negatively affecting air quality in New Jersey and New York City.
This study, published in Environmental Science & Technology and set to be featured on the journal’s next cover, analyzed the physical and chemical properties of particulate matter associated with wildfires. It is the first research to document these characteristics stemming from climate-induced wildfire events in the densely populated Northeastern U.S.
“Particulate matter is a major environmental contributor to disease globally, with wildfires fueled by climate change being a significant source,” stated lead author Jose Guillermo “Memo” Cedeño Laurent, who is an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and director of the Rutgers Climate Adaptive and Restorative Environments Lab. “In the United States, wildfires driven by climate change are undoing years of progress in improving air quality.”
This is a crucial issue because there is accumulating evidence that pollution from wildfires has more severe health impacts compared to other forms of pollution. Recent epidemiological studies have linked wildfire events to an increase in emergency visits for respiratory and cardiovascular issues in New York City, but the mechanisms behind these health effects remain largely unclear.
Through sophisticated analysis of the particulate matter, researchers found substantial levels of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are cancer-causing organic compounds, during the peak of the wildfire incident on June 7.
“We identified extremely high levels of ultrafine and fine particulate matter during the wildfire’s peak, exceeding national air quality standards by nearly tenfold, which is the highest recorded in over fifty years of air quality monitoring in the Northeast,” Cedeño Laurent explained.
Senior author Philip Demokritou, who holds the Henry Rutgers Chair and is a professor in nanoscience and environmental engineering at the Rutgers School of Public Health, also directs the Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Center (NAMC). He noted, “These fine particles can penetrate deeply into the lungs and may lead to negative health effects, as highlighted by recent epidemiological findings in the New York City area.”
The study estimated that the inhalation dose of particulate matter (PM10) over a 72-hour exposure could result in more than 9 micrograms of particles settling in the lungs.
“Our results regarding the exceptionally high concentrations of ultrafine particles and their significant PAH composition are essential for guiding ongoing mechanistic studies at NAMC,” Cedeño Laurent stated.
He also mentioned that these studies are examining the effects of these particles on different organs, such as the lungs, with researchers like Reynold Panettieri and Joseph Jude at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Bruce Levy and Yohannes Tesfaigzi at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston; the heart, studied by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s cardiovascular program; the brain, by David Leong at the National University of Singapore; and the reproductive system, addressed by Shuo Xiao and Andrew Gow at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.
“The findings will enhance our comprehension of wildfire smoke’s physical and chemical properties and how they affect human health,” Cedeño Laurent remarked.
Researchers emphasized the significance of more extensive examination of the physical and chemical behaviors of wildfire-related air pollution compared to non-wildfire pollution.
“Results from our study can assist public health officials in assessing risks and formulating strategies to support communities,” Demokritou indicated, “especially those in areas already affected by air pollution, as they adapt to the growing instances of wildfires.”
Furthermore, Cedeño Laurent and Demokritou mentioned that their findings provide new insights into the changing makeup of particulate matter. Their analysis of the optical properties of these particles will be part of an accompanying study led by Georgios Kelesidis, an affiliate of the Rutgers School of Public Health, exploring how wildfire-generated particulate matter affects the Earth’s temperature and its subsequent impact on climate change in urban centers.
The co-authors from Rutgers involved in the study include Georgios Kelesidis, post-doctoral fellows Hooman Parhizkar and Leonardo Calderon, as well as doctoral candidate Lila Bazina.
