Wildfires, global climate change, and human health
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Wildfires, Global Climate Change, and Human Health Wildfires are increasingly common and projected to worsen with climate change. Health consequences include burns and mental health effects, as wel...
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Wildfires have been increasing in intensity and frequency because of longer warm seasons, increasing periods of droughts, and drier soil and vegetation.
“Wildfires have been increasing in intensity and frequency because of longer warm seasons, increasing periods of droughts, and drier soil and vegetation.5,18,53”
From Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities (2024) · cites this paper as [5]
The “Climate Change and Wildfires” section says drought, moisture loss from soil, and a longer wildfire season can increase wildfire risk. It describes increases in forest-fire risk and severity chiefly as future expectations, however, rather than establishing that wildfires have already increased in both frequency and intensity. It also reports a decline in the overall global area burned since 1930; the copy provides no page number for these passages. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredWildfire smoke exposure during childhood is associated with increased likelihood of mental illness in adulthood, a decrease in academic performance, and exacerbation of asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis.
“Wildfire smoke exposure during childhood is associated with increased likelihood of mental illness in adulthood, a decrease in academic performance, and exacerbation of asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis.2,5”
From Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities (2024) · cites this paper as [5]
The Direct Health Risks from Wildfire Events section reports that childhood exposure to wildfires was associated with adult mental illness and that wildfire events were associated with lower academic performance in children. The Short-Term Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke section links smoke to asthma-related events and respiratory infections. It does not attribute the mental-health or academic findings specifically to smoke, or identify pneumonia and bronchitis specifically; the respiratory findings are not limited to childhood exposure. (LLM, conf=0.89)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredWildfire smoke exposure in pregnant women is linked to adverse birth effects such as preterm birth and lower birth weight.
“Pregnant women are also at risk to the effects of wildfire smoke as exposure has been linked to adverse birth effects such as preterm birth and lower birth weight.5”
From Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities (2024) · cites this paper as [5]
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Effects of Extreme Weather on Health in Underserved Communities
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- Authors
- Xu, R., Yu, P., Abramson, M. J., Johnston, F. H., Samet, J. M., Bell, M. L., Haines, A., Ebi, K. L., Li, S., & Guo, Y.
- Affiliations
- University of Tasmania (AU)
- ORCID
- Venue
- New England Journal of Medicine
- Publisher
- Massachusetts Medical Society
- Published
- 2020-11-26
- Volume
- 383
- Issue
- 22
- Pages
- 2173-2181
- ISSN
- 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
- 1533-4406
- OpenAlex
- W3092358196
- Cited by
- 616
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 90 · 2025: 113 · 2024: 126 · 2023: 126 · 2022: 104 · 2021: 55 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 28.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UTAS Research Repository (acceptedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Yale University
- University of Washington
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- University of Tasmania
- Monash University (VIC 3004)
- China Scholarship Council (201906210065, APP1107107, 201806010405, APP1109193)
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research
- Medical Research Council (APP1107107)
- National Health and Medical Research Council (201806010405, 1107107, 201906210065, 1109193)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Keywords
- forest fires, climate change, human health, burns, mental health, air pollution
- MeSH terms
- Wildfires, Health Status, Humans, Smoke, Global Health, Particulate Matter, Climate Change
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