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.

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.

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.