Wildland Fire Smoke Adds to Disproportionate PM2.5 Exposure in the United States
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Wildland fire (i.e., prescribed fire and wildfire) smoke exposure is an emerging public health threat, in part due to climate change. Previous research has demonstrated disparities in ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) exposure, with Black people, among others, exposed to higher concentrations; yet, it remains unclear how wildland fire smoke may contribute to additional disproportionate exposure. Here, we investigate the additional PM 2.5 burden contributed by wildland fire smoke in the contiguous United States by race and ethnicity, urbanicity, median household income, and language spoken at home, using modeled total, non-fire, and fire PM 2.5 concentrations from 2007 to 2018. Wildland fires contributed 7% to 14% of total population weighted PM 2.5 concentrations annually, while non-fire PM 2.5 concentrations declined by 24% over the study period. Wildland fires contributed to greater PM 2.5 exposure for Black and American Indian or Alaska Native people and those who live in nonurban areas. Disproportionate mean non-fire PM 2.5 concentrations for Black people (9.1 μg/m 3, compared to 8.7 μg/m 3 overall) were estimated to be further exacerbated by additional disproportionate concentrations from fires (1.0 μg/m 3, compared to 0.9 μg/m 3 overall). These results can inform equitable strategies by public health agencies and air quality managers to reduce smoke exposure in the United States.
Source: ACS ES&T Air
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4406868879