A new study published in *Science* finds that wildfire smoke is contributing to a reversal of US progress toward meeting ground-level ozone air quality standards. Researchers report that, since around 2015, ozone pollution has worsened in much of the continental United States, reversing gains made through efforts to reduce emissions. The study links the increase to emissions from wildfires as well as the transport of polluted air over long distances. Ground-level ozone forms when pollutants emitted from sources such as cars, refineries, and industrial activity react in the presence of sunlight. The authors conclude that wildfire-related emissions and smoke are undoing reductions that had been achieved through prior control measures. The findings are presented as evidence of a growing public health concern tied to worsening air quality during and after major fire events, with the smoke raising ozone levels beyond what would be expected from other trends alone. The research is led by University of Iowa scientists, and the results emphasize how climate-driven wildfire activity can affect air quality regulation and public health outcomes.
Wildfire smoke reverses US progress on ozone air quality, study finds
A new study published in *Science* finds that wildfire smoke is contributing to a reversal of US progress toward meeting ground-level ozone air quality standards. Researchers report that, since around...
- A study in *Science* finds wildfire impacts reverse US progress toward ground-level ozone air quality standards.
- Since about 2015, ozone pollution worsens in much of the continental United States.
- Wildfire emissions and long-distance transport of smoke-polluted air contribute to the ozone increase.
- Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with pollutants from sources such as vehicles, refineries, and industrial activity.
- Researchers link the worsening air quality to increased public health risk, including premature deaths reported in related context.
Since 2015, fires have undone years of effort to reduce ozone levels, underscoring a growing public health crisisThe highly destructive wildfires that have battered the US and North America in recent years have significantly increased emissions and been linked to tens of thousands of premature deaths, but their impact on air quality is greater than previously known, according to new research.A study published in Science on Thursday found that, since 2015, wildfires have reversed US progress toward ozone air quality standards, as the worsening pollution caused by wildfire smoke has undone years of efforts to reduce emissions. Ground-level ozone (O3) is created when pollutants from cars, refineries and industrial sources react with sunlight, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Continue reading...
2 months agoOzone pollution has worsened in much of the continental United States over the past decade, fueled by wildfires and the long-distance transport of unhealthy air, according to a new study titled "Fires reverse progress toward ozone air quality standards in the U.S.," led by University of Iowa researchers and published in the journal Science.
2 months ago
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