The comprehensive research examined air quality in Reno, Nevada during 106 wildfires to illuminate the atmospheric and public health impacts of smoke.
The comprehensive research examined air quality in Reno, Nevada during 106 wildfires to illuminate the atmospheric and public health impacts of smoke.
With wildfires increasing in frequency, severity, and size in the Western U.S., researchers are determined to better understand how smoke impacts air quality, public health, and even the weather. As fires burn, they release enormous amounts of aerosols — the vaporized remains of burning trees and homes that enter the atmosphere and the air we breathe. Now, a new study dissects these aerosols and gases to pinpoint their potential effects on our health as well as the planet’s short and long-term weather.
The research, published in April’s issue of Environmental Science: Atmospheres, measured air quality in Reno, Nevada over a 19 month period between 2017 and 2020 to capture both smoky and clear days. During this timeframe, smoke from more than 106 wildfires impacted the city’s air. DRI scientists Siying Lu and Andrey Khlystov led the research, which found increases in both fine aerosols (known as PM 2.5 for the size of the particulate matter) and carbon monoxide during smoky days. During the fire-prone late summer months analyzed during the study, wildfire smoke accounted for 56% to 65% of PM2.5 and 18% to 26% of carbon monoxide concentrations in Reno air. The results have implications for weather, cloud formation, and public health.
“We know that Reno is frequently impacted by wildfires in summer, so we wanted to compare smoky and non-smoky days and measure the impacts on local air quality,” said Lu, who completed the research as part of her PhD work. “Although we focused on Reno for this study, we developed the method so that it can theoretically be applied anywhere.”
Read more at Desert Research Institute
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