Wildfires increase the level of tropospheric ozone. An international study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health and involving Spanish participation, suggests that one- to three-day exposure to wildfire-related ozone pollution is linked to increased daily all-cause and respiratory mortality rates. The study analysed more than 700 locations - including in Spain - between 2000 and 2016, calculated the daily concentration of wildfire-related ozone pollution and compared it with data on daily deaths in the areas studied.
Horacio Riojas - muertes incendios EN
Horacio Riojas Rodríguez
Research Professor at the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico and Director of the Environmental Health Area
The survey is of good quality It is supported by both the size of the time series and the number of locations included.
The main finding comes from the analysis done for fire-related ozone. Normally these studies analyse respirable particles and their association with health, so the analysis on ozone is novel.
[Regarding the data from Spain] I would highlight that, although the impact is lower compared to other countries, it is still statistically significant. In the end it is an impact that may be avoidable.
These studies always have limitations, such as not having data at the individual level, but they are still useful. It would be good to know whether the increase in attributable mortality is different by age group or other conditions of vulnerability.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
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Gongbo Chen et al.
- Research article
- Peer reviewed
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