When wildfires rage, most of the public health attention goes to the thick smoke and tiny soot particles that choke the air and send people to emergency rooms. But researchers are now flagging a less visible danger that tags along with that smoke: ozone.
Unlike the protective ozone layer high in the stratosphere, ground-level ozone is a pollutant that forms when sunlight reacts with chemicals released by burning vegetation, combined with other airborne compounds. Scientists tracking air quality during recent large wildfires have found that ozone concentrations near the ground are climbing alongside the more familiar particulate pollution, and in some cases spreading well beyond the immediate fire zone.
That matters because ozone at ground level can irritate the lungs, worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions, and contribute to premature deaths, much like fine particulate matter already known to spike during fire season. Because ozone can form and drift downwind, communities far from active flames may still face elevated health risks even when they can’t see or smell smoke.
Researchers say this emerging pattern adds a new layer of complexity to how officials measure and communicate wildfire risk, since current warnings largely focus on visible smoke and particulates rather than this invisible gas.
To read the full scientific findings and expert analysis, check out the original report on the New York Times website.
Source: Scientists Warn of Another Unseen Risk From Fire: Ozone (rss.nytimes.com).
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