Air Quality and Wildfires
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140129115056.htm
Parched by lingering
drought, the American West prepares for a season of potentially record breaking
wildfires. New research suggests these events will be an immediate threat to
people's safety and their homes, and also may negatively affect human health,
agriculture, and ecosystems. Shown in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology, the study could help
societies plan to lessen these effects in wildfire prone regions.
Societies
have learned to harness these powerful wild fires and better control wild
blazes to minimize damage. But climate change can impact the number and
severity of wildfires. "Previous studies have estimated the effect of
climate change and population growth on wildfire patterns and the risk of
damage to buildings and homes in California." Matthew D. Hurteau's team expanded
on these findings by investigating six possible future climate scenarios.
The team discovered
that climate will likely be the motivating force behind these increases.
However, a rise in wildfires will mean significant societal challenges, such as
higher pollution levels, which will affect human health. Poor air quality also
can lower crop yield, resulting in the suffering of forest health.
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