Wildfire smoke air pollution: New approaches needed to protect people affected
Abstract
A vast body of evidence on the health effects of air pollution led to North American legislation to regulate polluting emissions at sources; these top–down measures led to improved air quality and better population health. Research on exposure to wildfire smoke air pollution has generated similar evidence on multiple health harms. The effects of wildfire smoke pollution are consistent with air pollution from other sources, but wildfire smoke emissions cannot be regulated at their source. Relying on people to protect themselves is not enough, and top–down strategies — such as building measures to ensure quality of indoor air and legislation to protect outdoor workers — are also needed to protect human health as the climate continues to change.
