The wild fires that have engulfed California are now considered one of the worst natural disasters in US history. Homes have been lost, communities have been destroyed and 40,000 acres have burned, fueled by Santa Ana winds and a prolonged drought. Across the globe, wild fires have become more frequent. In the US, there are more than 70,000 fires per year and the acreage burned has more than doubled over the past 30 years. In addition to property damage, the particulate matter in wild fire smoke is a huge health concern. Cardiac and respiratory deaths have increased over the past twenty years due to wild fires. How do wild fires and the smoke they produce affect heart health?
It is well established that air pollution is a major factor in global health. Air pollution causes millions of premature deaths every year, especially in the very young (children < 6 years old), the elderly (over age 65) and in vulnerable groups (those with pre-existing lung or heart disease). Air pollution has been linked to almost every major cardiac disease process including heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmias, hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular death. Polluted air contains particulate matter, fine particles that are suspended in the air. Particulate matter is produced by burning fossil fuels (for example car exhaust), smoke from manufacturing plants, and agricultural activities (such as burning crop residues). These particles are inhaled into the lungs and enter the blood stream. Once particulate matter has entered the body it can trigger various adverse reactions such as inflammation, oxidative stress, stiffening of the wall of the arteries, loss of function in the blood vessels, and increased risk for blood clotting.
Wildfires produce smoke that have similar effects on the body as air pollution. The smoke contains particulate matter, gases (carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide), heavy metals (lead, mercury), and toxic carcinogens (similar to cigarette smoke- benzene, benzopyrene). Wildfire smoke is especially harmful to human health due the fact that smoke can travel thousands of miles and the particulate matter is very dense (wildfire events can increase particulate matter in the air to levels that equal the most polluted cities). Wildfire smoke can impact health in many different ways. It affects respiratory health by worsening lung function, increasing asthma episodes and increasing the risk for lung infections. Particulate matter is also known to affect the kidneys, the gastrointestinal system and can lead to diabetes. Wildfire smoke is associated with high blood pressure, episodes of chest pain, cardiac arrest and worsening heart failure. Exposure to smoke increases hospital admissions for cardiac events. Even short-term exposure to wildfire smoke can result in harm as this type of smoke is more toxic than the particulate matter found in urban air pollution. It doesn’t take a full wildfire to produce the risks. Even the particulate matter from wood smoke (such as fire pits or camp fires) can trigger these adverse reactions.
Wildfires are not just something that occur 3,000 miles away on the west coast but have happened in our own backyard as well. The 2023 wildfire season in Canada was among the worst in its history. In June 2023, the wildfire smoke traveled more than 2000 miles and affected the Eastern US. The smoke was gathered and analyzed on the Piscataway campus of Rutgers University. Researchers found that the smoke had very large concentrations of fine particulate matter as well as high amounts of cancer-causing organic compounds. On June 7 2023, the air quality in New York City was the worst on record in 50 years. In addition, on that day, the level of particulate matter was 10 times higher than the national air quality standard. How did that affect health? Asthma related emergency room (ER) visits increased by 82% on June 7 in New York State and by 63% in New Jersey. The New York area was not the only one involved. In Baltimore, the level of particulate matter was 9 times higher on June 7 than any other day in 2023. This resulted in increased visits to ERs and urgent care facilities for heart and lung related problems.
What can you do to protect yourself when the next wave of wildfire smoke descends on New Jersey? The best recommendations include staying indoors, with air conditioning or an air purifier. Don’t do any strenuous activity outside (for example exercising, mowing the lawn, gardening). If you have to go out, wear a face mask, preferably an N95 mask. Let’s hope for a fire free 2025.
