November 26, 2024
3 minutes read
Wildfire Smoke Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
The particles that make up wildfire smoke may increase the risk of dementia much more than similar air pollutants from other sources.
Firefighters are surrounded by heavy smoke as they battle the Silverado Fire, driven by Santa Ana winds, at the 241 Turnpike and Portola Parkway on October 26, 2020 in Irvine, California.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times (via Getty Images)
Climate Wire | Wildfire smoke can worsen a variety of illnesses, from asthma to heart disease.
Now new research adds another concern. It may increase your risk of dementia.
no way Study published Monday in scientific journals JAMA NeurologyIt has been found that long-term exposure to smoke levels increases the risk of dementia diagnosis over time. For each microgram increase in wildfire pollution per cubic meter of air over a three-year period, the odds of being diagnosed with dementia increased by about 18%.
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This compares to each individual’s baseline risk of a dementia diagnosis, which is relatively low in the general population. Nonetheless, the increased risk is sufficiently large to pose a public health concern.
The study focuses on a form of air pollution known as particulate matter (small, inhalable particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter). This type of air pollution can be caused by a variety of sources, including automobiles, industrial sources, and fire.
Previous research has already suggested that fine dust may increase the risk of dementia, among other health problems. The new study focused specifically on particles produced by wildfire smoke, which can have different chemical and physical properties than particles produced by other sources.
The study examined the medical records of more than 1 million people living in Southern California from 2008 to 2019, all of whom are part of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Healthcare Consortium. They also analyzed air quality records from the same period to estimate long-term pollution concentrations, including particles originating directly from wildfire smoke.
Studies have shown that wildfire smoke increases the risk of dementia much more than particulate matter from other sources. Researchers say there are several reasons why this might be the case.
Wildfire smoke particles tend to have higher concentrations of molecules known for toxic or inflammatory properties. And wildfire smoke tends to spike at certain times of the year compared to other types of air pollution. This can intermittently expose communities to extremely high levels of pollution, resulting in greater health impacts.
The study also found that certain demographics are at higher risk than others, including low-income people and people of color, including black, Hispanic and Asian communities.
Low-income communities often have a higher risk of exposure to air pollution, researchers note. The lower quality housing in these communities makes it easier for particulate matter to enter homes, and residents may have less access to air filtration systems.
Marginalized groups may also face more health problems because of systemic discrimination, which increases their risk of developing dementia later in life.
“We know that climate change impacts the most vulnerable communities first and worst, and we seem to see similar signals in our data,” Joan Casey, an environmental epidemiologist and co-author of the new study, told POLITICO’S E&E said in an email to the News. .
Policymakers can take specific steps to protect these vulnerable communities, she added. Ensure that all public health communications are published in multiple languages. And they can advance policies to combat climate change, reduce other sources of air pollution, and mitigate wildfires through science-based strategies like controlled burns.
Meanwhile, there are other questions that scientists can investigate in future studies.
A new study looked at all types of dementia. However, future studies could examine whether certain types of diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have a stronger link to wildfire smoke than others.
The research team is also “very curious” about the effects of multiple climate risks working together, Casey added. For example, if wildfires coincide with power outages, many homes’ ability to use their air filtration systems could be limited, potentially worsening health risks.
These kinds of questions are becoming more urgent as the effects of climate change worsen. According to a recent study About a quarter of all particulate matter pollution in the United States comes from wildfire smoke. And in the western United States, smoke makes up about half.
Reprinted from E&E News With permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2024. E&E News provides essential news to energy and environmental professionals.
