Happy Nice Mall

The researchers also found a link between pollution and atmospheric “rigging” patterns, the development of stagnant zones of high-pressure air. These zones, sometimes called heat domes, lead to increased heat and desiccation that can cause wildfires to ignite and spread more easily, as well as cause dangerous heat waves. The frequency of these tread patterns has increased significantly since 2000, according to new research.

The study only analyzed data up to 2020. “But I think 2021 will be pretty high on some of these metrics as well,” Kalashnikov said. There were several major wildfires in the West last summer that spread smoke to the West, and extreme heat and drought continued throughout the region.

Colleen Reid, a health geographer at the University of Colorado who studies the combined effects of wildfire smoke and ozone but was not involved in this research, said the findings show that the seasonality and extent of PM2. it now overlaps more with high ozone days.

“What’s been happening a lot lately is that we have really bad air quality as well as extreme heat,” he said.

Dr. The study also highlights how heat should be considered when helping the public cope with air pollution, Reid said, because recommended public health measures for extreme heat and excessive air pollution can be completely opposite, especially for those who experience air pollution. cannot afford the air conditioner.

Dr. “When it’s hot, you want to open your windows to avoid overheating in your home,” Reid said. “But when the air quality is bad, you want to close your windows to keep most of the air pollution out.”

Dr. Wildfires and the short-term dangers to individuals and communities often get the most attention, Swain said. But this study looks at the longer-term risks to the broader public.

“Something may not be as likely to kill you personally in the short term,” he said. “But if you put the same risk on tens of millions of people over and over again, the social burden is actually very high,” he said.