| Wildfire season is in full swing, threatening everything from oil prices to homes to health. The danger goes beyond the immediate risk to life and limb. There are some long-term medical consequences that scientists are only just beginning to realize. Case in point: exposure to wildfire smoke. It increases seniors' risk of being diagnosed with dementia significantly more than other kinds of pollution, according to a study presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. Previous research gives us clues into what might be happening. Exposure to tiny particles of pollution may damage the blood vessels to the brain and contribute to dementia risk. Most wildfire smoke particles are small enough to move from the lungs and get absorbed into the bloodstream, where they can cause inflammation. Wildfire smoke particles are generated at substantially higher temperatures, have a smaller average particle size and more inflammatory compounds, collectively boosting its risk to human health, says epidemiologist Holly Elser, a neurology resident at the University of Pennsylvania and lead author of the study. The study examined the risk of dementia associated with wildfire pollution and that from other causes, such as those emitted by cars of factories, among 1.2 million Southern Californians over the age of 60. The researchers examined health records during a key period, from 2009 to 2019, when skies in the southern part of the state were choked with smoke from numerous wildfires. The devastation included the 2017 Thomas fire, which forced 100,000 residents in Santa Barbara and beyond to evacuate, and led to over $2.2 billion in damage. It's a growing problem, as the wildfire threat is increasing. In California, the seven largest wildfires all took place since 2018. The state already had all the ingredients for another terrible run in 2024, and the outlook worsened after a man allegedly started a major blaze by pushing a burning car into a ravine. In other parts of the country, people often are closer to wildfires than they realize. Air quality has already reached "unhealthy" levels in parts of North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado this summer, as smoke blows down from large Canadian wildfires. Black and Asian Southern Californians had striking results, showing an especially strong association between wildfire smoke exposure and dementia risk, Elser says. It may be that many work outdoors, even on poor air quality days that carry a higher risk, says Maria Carrillo, chief science officer at the Alzheimer's Association. If you live in a place where wildfire smoke clouds the sky, Elser recommends using a filtration system in your home and wearing an N95 mask outside that blocks most pollution particles when air quality is unhealthy outside. Like other Californians, I thought I had escaped the wildfires when I moved to the East Coast. The wildfire smoke currently drifting across upstate New York tells me I was wrong. — Sophia Vahanvaty | 
No comments:
Post a Comment