NYC residents may have experienced less health impact from Canadian wildfire smoke than anticipated.
NYC residents may have experienced less health impact from Canadian wildfire smoke than anticipated.
New Yorkers Breathe Easier During Wildfires than Pollen Season
Living in New York City during the days of smoky air caused by Canadian wildfires in June was undoubtedly unpleasant. However, new data reveals that the immediate impact on residents’ lungs was not as severe as feared. While the long-term effects remain uncertain, the research shows that the number of hospital visits related to breathing issues did not exceed those during high pollen seasons.
Wuyue Yu, a doctoral student at NYU Langone Health in New York City, describes the findings, stating, “Thankfully, the respiratory effects of the wildfire smoke in June were not much worse than what had been seen on really bad pollen days back in the spring, and despite what many New Yorkers may have feared on seeing hazy, orange air.”
The scientists, from NYU Grossman School of Medicine, analyzed daily levels of PM2.5, which are tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs. The researchers focused on the first six months of 2023, investigating the correlation between asthma-related emergency room visits and PM2.5 levels.
The study revealed that when the level of wildfire smoke peaked in June, asthma-related visits to the ER increased by an average of 3% for every 10 microgram increase in PM2.5 per cubic meter of air. On the smokiest day, emergency departments in the city treated 335 asthma patients, significantly surpassing the daily average of 188 earlier in the year. Interestingly, this peak number was only marginally higher than the 302 visits recorded on April 26, when tree pollen counts were high.
Though no deaths were directly linked to the wildfire smoke, the researchers emphasized that asthma is a potentially life-threatening condition. David Luglio, another doctoral student at NYU Langone, emphasizes this point, stating, “The long-term consequences, if any, of exposure to wildfire smoke remain unknown, so we are not yet totally in the clear.”
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To further understand the health effects of exposure to wildfire smoke compared to more common sources of particulate matter from fossil-fuel combustion, the researchers plan to conduct additional air monitoring. George Thurston, a professor of medicine and population health at NYU Langone and the senior author of the study, explains, “While inhaling any particle-filled air is not good for your lungs, we do know that wildfire smoke is primarily made up of organic matter. As a result, it is not enriched in the toxic metals that are found in fossil-fuel emissions, which are known to cause damaging oxidative stress in the body.”
The study further reveals that compared to ambient air pollution, the wildfire smoke contained 64% more potassium, a key component of soil and foliage. Additionally, the smoke contained only 12% of the average levels of copper and 26% of the average levels of sulfur found in the New York City air. Both copper and sulfur are known to cause oxidative stress when inhaled.
The findings of the study were published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, shedding light on the effects of wildfire smoke on respiratory health. While it is comforting to know that New Yorkers did not suffer significantly worse respiratory effects during the wildfire than during pollen seasons, the long-term consequences of exposure to this type of smoke are still uncertain.
Conclusion
Living through the smoky days caused by Canadian wildfires in June was not as detrimental to the respiratory health of New York City residents as initially feared. Asthma-related emergency room visits during this period were comparable to those during high pollen seasons. While the immediate impact was not severe, researchers emphasize the need for further investigation into the potential long-term consequences of exposure to wildfire smoke. Understanding these effects will contribute to better public health strategies to mitigate the risks associated with such events.
