Wildfire smoke poses greater risk for brain than other air pollutants, study finds

New research reported at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia revealed that wildfire smoke may be worse for brain health than other types of air pollution. The research also linked this to an increased risk of dementia.?

The study for the research spanned over 10 years and concerned more than 1.2 million southern Californians.?

Wildfire smoke, motor vehicles, and factories all emit fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a type of air pollution consisting of a microscopic mixture of solid and liquid droplets that are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair.??

Researchers found that exposure to PM2.5 from wildfire smoke significantly increased the risk of dementia diagnosis, even with lower exposure levels, compared to PM2.5 from other sources.??

Read more: Texas wildfire engulfs record 1.1 million acres, marks state’s largest blaze ever?

While non-wildfire PM2.5 also raised the risk of dementia, the effect was not as pronounced as that from wildfire smoke.?

Continue Reading