Air Pollution from Wildfires Claims 1.5 Million Lives Each Year

Preventing wildfire air pollution could protect millions of lives by reducing health risks from smoke-related diseases.

Wildfire smoke contains dangerous particles and chemicals that can lead to respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and even premature death, especially for vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.

An international study led by Australian researchers has revealed that over 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year are associated with the health effects of air pollution from landscape fires.

Wildfire Smoke can Cause Heart, Stroke Ailments Among Older Adults
Smoke from wildfires can send people, especially seniors to the hospital emergency room (ER) for heart and stroke issues.

‘Did You Know?
Each year, landscape fire pollution claims 1.53 million lives, with 450,000 dying from heart disease and 220,000 from lung disease. #landscapefirepollution #airpollution #wildfire #medindia’

According to the research published by Monash University in Melbourne, 1.53 million deaths per year between 2000 and 2019 were attributable to wildfire-sourced air pollution, Xinhua news agency reported.

The study found that over 90 percent of all deaths attributable to landscape fire-sourced air pollution occurred in low and middle-income countries — particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast, south and east Asia.

Health Risks of Air Pollution From Landscape Fires

It was a comprehensive assessment of the health risks associated with air pollution from landscape fires, involving researchers from universities around the world.

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Of the 1.53 million annual deaths globally, 450,000 were attributed to cardiovascular disease and 220,000 to respiratory disease ().

Fine particulate matter from wildfires fires contributed to 77.6 percent of deaths and surface ozone to 22.4 percent.

Wildfire Air Pollution Raises Hospitalization Risks in Dialysis Patients
For individuals receiving in-center dialysis, exposure to a wildfire smoke plume was linked to a 3% increased risk of being hospitalized for any cause the next day.

Wildfire Smoke: A Global Health Emergency

“As wildfires are increasingly frequent and severe in a warming climate, urgent action is required to address such substantial impact on climate-related mortality and associated environmental injustice,” the authors wrote in the study.

The countries with the highest attributable mortality rates to landscape fires were all in sub-Saharan Africa.

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The authors advocate for high-income countries to provide financial and technological support to help vulnerable developing countries manage the health impacts of wildfire-sourced air pollution and address the socioeconomic disparities in mortality rates.

References:

Global, regional, and national mortality burden attributable to air pollution from landscape fires: a health impact assessment study - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02251-7/abstract)

Source-IANS