Global health burden from acute exposure to fine particles emitted by fires

Acute exposure to emissions from fires presents a significant and immediate threat to human health. Inhalation of wildfire smoke and other pollutants can lead to various health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Our study uses the SILAM chemical transport model, integrated with the IS4FIRES fire information system, to assess population exposure to fire-related PM2.5, along with the health burden from all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular deaths. Our results show that while population-weighted all-source PM2.5 exposure has declined in Europe and high-income North America, fire-PM2.5 exposure has increased significantly in Eastern and Central Europe, high-income North America, Tropical Latin America, and sub-Saharan Africa. Extreme fire-PM2.5 events have tripled globally since the 1990s, with more than half of the global population experiencing minimum perpetual fire occurrence (at least 1% of fire-PM2.5 in PM2.5 for 50 instances of 3 consecutive days in a calendar year) in 2010–2018. Acute exposure to fire-PM2.5 contributed to 99,000 (95% CI: 55,000–149,000) all-cause deaths annually in 2010–18, with significant cardiovascular and respiratory disease burdens, particularly in Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. Our findings highlight the escalating health risks of fire emissions, emphasizing the urgent need for mitigation strategies as fire-PM2.5 becomes a growing contributor to global air pollution-related mortality.