scholarly journals Cardiovascular health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
James M. Samet ◽  
Philip A. Bromberg ◽  
Haiyan Tong
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Wildfire Smoke ◽  
Toxicological Studies

AbstractIn recent years, wildland fires have occurred more frequently and with increased intensity in many fire-prone areas. In addition to the direct life and economic losses attributable to wildfires, the emitted smoke is a major contributor to ambient air pollution, leading to significant public health impacts. Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture of particulate matter (PM), gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. PM from wildfire smoke has a high content of elemental carbon and organic carbon, with lesser amounts of metal compounds. Epidemiological studies have consistently found an association between exposure to wildfire smoke (typically monitored as the PM concentration) and increased respiratory morbidity and mortality. However, previous reviews of the health effects of wildfire smoke exposure have not established a conclusive link between wildfire smoke exposure and adverse cardiovascular effects. In this review, we systematically evaluate published epidemiological observations, controlled clinical exposure studies, and toxicological studies focusing on evidence of wildfire smoke exposure and cardiovascular effects, and identify knowledge gaps. Improving exposure assessment and identifying sensitive cardiovascular endpoints will serve to better understand the association between exposure to wildfire smoke and cardiovascular effects and the mechanisms involved. Similarly, filling the knowledge gaps identified in this review will better define adverse cardiovascular health effects of exposure to wildfire smoke, thus informing risk assessments and potentially leading to the development of targeted interventional strategies to mitigate the health impacts of wildfire smoke.

Cardiovascular effects of air pollution

2008 ◽  
Vol 115 (6) ◽  
pp. 175-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Brook
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
Systemic Circulation ◽  
Pollution Source ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Particle Exposure

Air pollution is a heterogeneous mixture of gases, liquids and PM (particulate matter). In the modern urban world, PM is principally derived from fossil fuel combustion with individual constituents varying in size from a few nanometres to 10 μm in diameter. In addition to the ambient concentration, the pollution source and chemical composition may play roles in determining the biological toxicity and subsequent health effects. Nevertheless, studies from across the world have consistently shown that both short- and long-term exposures to PM are associated with a host of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial ischaemia and infarctions, heart failure, arrhythmias, strokes and increased cardiovascular mortality. Evidence from cellular/toxicological experiments, controlled animal and human exposures and human panel studies have demonstrated several mechanisms by which particle exposure may both trigger acute events as well as prompt the chronic development of cardiovascular diseases. PM inhaled into the pulmonary tree may instigate remote cardiovascular health effects via three general pathways: instigation of systemic inflammation and/or oxidative stress, alterations in autonomic balance, and potentially by direct actions upon the vasculature of particle constituents capable of reaching the systemic circulation. In turn, these responses have been shown to trigger acute arterial vasoconstriction, endothelial dysfunction, arrhythmias and pro-coagulant/thrombotic actions. Finally, long-term exposure has been shown to enhance the chronic genesis of atherosclerosis. Although the risk to one individual at any single time point is small, given the prodigious number of people continuously exposed, PM air pollution imparts a tremendous burden to the global public health, ranking it as the 13th leading cause of morality (approx. 800000 annual deaths).

scholarly journals Critical Review of Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke Exposure

2016 ◽  
Vol 124 (9) ◽  
pp. 1334-1343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen E. Reid ◽  
Michael Brauer ◽  
Fay H. Johnston ◽  
Michael Jerrett ◽  
John R. Balmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Review ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Wildfire Smoke

scholarly journals Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health Effects of e-Cigarette Substitution: Protocol for Two Living Systematic Reviews

10.2196/29084 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e29084
Author(s):  
Renee O'Leary ◽  
Maria Ahmed Qureshi ◽  
Giusy Rita Maria La Rosa ◽  
Robin W M Vernooij ◽  
Damian Chukwu Odimegwu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Cardiovascular Effects ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Narrative Synthesis ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Based Medicine

Background Despite the clear risks of tobacco use, millions of people continue to smoke. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), commonly called e-cigarettes, have been proposed as a substitute for those who are unwilling or unable to quit. Current systematic and narrative reviews on the health effects of ENDS use, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular effects, have come to differing conclusions. Objective We conducted two systematic reviews to critically assess and synthesize available human studies on the respiratory and cardiovascular health effects of ENDS substitution for people who smoke. The primary goal is to provide clinicians with evidence on the health effects of ENDS substitution to inform their treatment recommendations and plans. The twin goal of the reviews is to promote health literacy in ENDS users with facts on the health effects of ENDS. Methods These two reviews will be living systematic reviews. The systematic reviews will be initiated through a baseline review. Studies will be evaluated using the JBI quality assessment tools and a checklist of biases drawn from the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Catalogue of Bias. A narrative synthesis is planned because of the heterogeneity of data. A search for recently published studies will be conducted every 3 months, and an updated review will be published every 6 months for the duration of the project or possibly longer. Results The baseline and updated reviews will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The findings of the reviews will be reported in a white paper for clinicians and a fact sheet for people who use ENDS. Conclusions The substitution of ENDS for cigarettes is one way to potentially reduce the risks of smoking. Clinicians and their patients need to understand the potential benefits and possible risks of substituting ENDS for cigarettes. Our living systematic reviews seek to highlight the best and most up-to-date evidence in this highly contentious and fast-moving field of research. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42021239094; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=239094 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/29084

scholarly journals Communicating the health risks of wildfire smoke exposure: Health literacy considerations of public health campaigns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily A. Cook
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wildfire Smoke ◽  
Public Health Campaigns ◽  
Visual Materials ◽  
Respiratory Conditions

Effective communication about the health effects of wildfire smoke is important to protect the public, especially the consumers most vulnerable to the effects of wildfire smoke exposure: those with chronic respiratory conditions, children, and older adults. The objective of this paper is to examine the clarity and accessibility of visual materials intended to educate consumers about the health effects of wildfire. The CDC Clear Communications Index (CCI) is used to evaluate whether materials adhere to the main principles of health literacy: clarity and accessibility. In addition, gaps in the materials are identified and the accuracy of the information presented is assessed in light of current medical literature. Our finding is that most materials focus on communicating specific behavioral recommendations for protecting the health of the consumers, particularly to avoid exposure to air polluted by wildfire smoke by staying indoors, reducing activity levels, and using air purifiers or approved dust masks

The economic cost of adverse health effects from wildfire-smoke exposure: a review

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikuho Kochi ◽  
Geoffrey H. Donovan ◽  
Patricia A. Champ ◽  
John B. Loomis
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Economic Costs ◽  
Wildfire Smoke ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes

The economic costs of adverse health effects associated with exposure to wildfire smoke should be given serious consideration in determining the optimal wildfire management policy. Unfortunately, the literature in this research area is thin. In an effort to better understand the nature of these economic costs, we review and synthesise the relevant literature in three areas: studies that estimated the health-related economic costs of wildfire-smoke exposure; epidemiology studies related to the health risk of wildfire smoke; and general economic studies that estimated the monetary value of preventing the specific adverse health outcomes. Based on the findings from this literature review, we identify the need for a better understanding of the effect of wildfire smoke on major and minor adverse health outcomes. It would also be useful to know more about averting behaviours among residents exposed to smoke during a wildfire event. Finally, we suggest investigating the unique health effects of wildfire smoke compared with conventional air pollution to determine whether it is appropriate to extrapolate from previously estimated conventional pollution dose–response functions.

scholarly journals Exposure to Wildfire Smoke and Particulate Matter among Washington State Construction Workers; Potential Impacts and Implications for Worker Protection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Zuidema ◽  
Elena Austin ◽  
Martin A. Cohen ◽  
Edward Kasner ◽  
Lilian Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Wildfire Smoke ◽  
Outdoor Workers

Driven by climate change, wildfires are increasing in frequency, duration, and intensity across the Western United States. Outdoor workers are being exposed to increasing wildfire-related particulate matter and smoke. Recognizing this emerging risk, Washington adopted an emergency rule and is presently engaged in creating a permanent rule to protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke exposure. While there are growing bodies of literature on the exposure to and health effects of wildfire smoke in the general public and wildland firefighters, there is a gap in knowledge about wildfire smoke exposure among outdoor workers generally, and construction workers specifically, a large category of outdoor workers in Washington totaling 200,000 people. In this study, we link several data sources including state-collected employment data and national ambient air quality data to gain insight into the risk of wildfire exposure among construction workers in Washington. Our results indicate the number of poor air quality days has increased in August and September in recent years. We also observed that over the last decade these months with the greatest potential for wildfire smoke exposure coincide with an annual peak in construction employment that was typically 9.4 to 42.7% larger across Washington counties (one county was 75.8%). Lastly, we considered different air quality thresholds and retrospectively tallied days in Washington that would have triggered rules protecting workers from wildfire smoke. We found the "encouraged" threshold of the Washington emergency rule (20.5 μg/m3) would result in 5.5 times more days subject to the wildfire rule on average across all Washington counties compared to its "required" threshold (55.5 μg/m3), and in 2020 the rule could have created demand for 1.35 million N-95 filtering facepiece respirators among construction workers. These results have important implications for both employers and policy makers as rules are developed. We also discuss the potential economic and policy implications of wildfire smoke exposure, exposure control strategies, and data gaps that would improve our understanding of construction worker exposure to wildfire smoke.

scholarly journals Long-term effects of wildfire smoke exposure during early-life on the nasal epigenome in rhesus macaques

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony P Brown ◽  
Lucy P Cai ◽  
Benjamin I Laufer ◽  
Lisa A Miller ◽  
Janine M LaSalle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Differentially Expressed Gene ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Smoke Exposure ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Emissions ◽  
Wildfire Smoke ◽  
Early Life Exposure

Background: Wildfire smoke is responsible for around 20% of all particulate emissions in the U.S. and affects millions of people worldwide. Children are especially vulnerable, as ambient air pollution exposure during early childhood is associated with reduced lung function. Most studies, however, have focused on the short-term impacts of wildfire smoke exposures. We aimed to identify long-term baseline epigenetic changes associated with early-life exposure to wildfire smoke. We collected nasal epithelium samples for whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) from two groups of adult female rhesus macaques: one group born just before the 2008 California wildfire season and exposed to wildfire smoke during early-life (n = 8), and the other group born in 2009 with no wildfire smoke exposure during early-life (n = 14). RNA-sequencing was also performed on a subset of these samples. Results: We identified 3370 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (difference in methylation >= 5% and empirical p < 0.05) and 1 differentially expressed gene (FLOT2) (FDR < 0.05, fold of change >= 1.2). The DMRs were annotated to genes significantly enriched for synaptogenesis signaling, protein kinase A signaling, and a variety of immune processes, and some DMRs significantly correlated with gene expression differences. DMRs were also significantly enriched within regions of bivalent chromatin (top odds ratio = 1.46, q-value < 3 x 10-6) that often silence key developmental genes while keeping them poised for activation in pluripotent cells. Conclusions: These data suggest that early-life exposure to wildfire smoke leads to long-term changes in the methylome over genes impacting the nervous and immune systems, but follow-up studies will be required to test whether these changes influence transcription following an immune/respiratory challenge.

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