Post by Dr. JMA23 on Jun 12, 2024 11:08:49 GMT -5
Pollution from California wildfires killed more than 52,000 people in a decade, a new study claimed Friday, as the western United States girds for a hot summer that could bring more blazes.
Vast areas of forest and grassland are scorched every year in California and other parts of the country, causing millions of dollars of destruction and sometimes costing lives.
But researchers say particulate matter released by the fires has a devastating effect on local populations that far outweighs the number of deaths directly attributable to them.
A study led by Rachel Connolly of the University of California Los Angeles found these tiny airborne pollutants -- known as PM2.5 because they are 2.5 micrometers or less -- are killing large numbers of people.
The team looked at data from 2008 to 2018 and isolated the amount of PM2.5 released specifically by wildfires, as opposed to that generated by other sources, like transport and manufacturing.
They found at least 52,480 premature deaths could be attributed to this specific pollution. The cost of treating people affected by the pollutants was calculated at $432 billion.
phys.org/news/2024-06-california-wildfire-pollution-decade.html#google_vignette
Vast areas of forest and grassland are scorched every year in California and other parts of the country, causing millions of dollars of destruction and sometimes costing lives.
But researchers say particulate matter released by the fires has a devastating effect on local populations that far outweighs the number of deaths directly attributable to them.
A study led by Rachel Connolly of the University of California Los Angeles found these tiny airborne pollutants -- known as PM2.5 because they are 2.5 micrometers or less -- are killing large numbers of people.
The team looked at data from 2008 to 2018 and isolated the amount of PM2.5 released specifically by wildfires, as opposed to that generated by other sources, like transport and manufacturing.
They found at least 52,480 premature deaths could be attributed to this specific pollution. The cost of treating people affected by the pollutants was calculated at $432 billion.
phys.org/news/2024-06-california-wildfire-pollution-decade.html#google_vignette
