Wildfire smoke pollution linked to 24,000 deaths annually in U.S.

Home

China

World

Politics

Business

Sci-Tech

Health

Opinions

Video

Live

Radio

World Asia-Pacific Middle East Europe Americas Africa

By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser.

I agree

Chronic exposure to particle pollution from wildfire smoke is linked to more than 24,000 deaths each year in the United States, a study published on Wednesday said.

Smoke fills the sky from a wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey, the U.S., April 24, 2025. /VCG

The paper, published in the journal Science Advances, examined the relationship between long-term exposure to fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke, known as PM2.5 – particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller – and both all-cause and cause-specific mortality across the contiguous U.S. from 2006 to 2020.

During this period, wildfire smoke PM2.5 contributed to an estimated 24,100 deaths annually, the study found.

Orange smoke from wildfire burning shrouds San Francisco, California, the U.S., September 9, 2020. /VCG

Researchers discovered that exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 was associated with increased mortality for nearly all causes examined, except for deaths resulting from transport accidents or falls.

The researchers said the findings underscore the serious public health risks posed by chronic exposure to wildfire smoke and highlight the urgent need for effective mitigation strategies.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

Open in CGTN APP for better experience

Search Trends