We investigate the air quality impact of record-breaking wildfires in Southern California during 5-18 December 2017 using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry in combination with satellite and surface observations. This wildfire event was driven by dry and strong offshore Santa Ana winds, which played a critical role in fire formation and air pollutant transport. By utilizing fire emissions derived from the high-resolution (375 × 375 m) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite active fire detections, the simulated magnitude and temporal evolution of fine particulate matter (PM) concentrations agree reasonably well with surface observations (normalized mean bias = 4.0%). Meanwhile, the model could generally capture the spatial pattern of aerosol optical depth from satellite observations. Sensitivity tests reveal that using a high spatial resolution for fire emissions and a reasonable treatment of plume rise (a fair split between emissions injected at surface and those lifted to upper levels) is important for achieving decent PM simulation results. Biases in PM simulation are relatively large (about 50%) during the period with the strongest Santa Ana wind, due to a possible underestimation of burning area and uncertainty in wind field variation. The 2017 December fire event increases the 14-day averaged PM concentrations by up to 231.2 μg/m over the downwind regions, which substantially exceeds the U.S. air quality standards, potentially leading to adverse health impacts. The human exposure to fire-induced PM accounts for 14-42% of the annual total PM exposure in areas impacted by the fire plumes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2019jd030472 | DOI Listing |
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
January 2025
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
Environ Sci Process Impacts
January 2025
Environmental Chemistry Section, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Aas, Norway.
Alum shale formations in Scandinavia are generally enriched in uranium (U) and, when exposed to air and water, may produce acidic rock drainage (ARD), releasing potentially harmful elements into the environment. Taraldrud is a legacy site in southeast Norway where approx. 51 000 m of alum shale was deposited in the 1980s-1990s.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
January 2025
SKL-ESPC and SEPKL-AERM, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, and Center for Environment and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China.
Anemia in women of reproductive age (WRA) presents a pressing global public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, the potential impact of ozone (O) exposure on anemia remains uncertain. The study included 1,467,887 eligible women from 83 surveys of 45 LMICs between 2004 to 2020.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChem Soc Rev
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47906, USA.
The light-absorbing chemical components of atmospheric organic aerosols are commonly referred to as Brown Carbon (BrC), reflecting the characteristic yellowish to brown appearance of aerosol. BrC is a highly complex mixture of organic compounds with diverse compositions and variable optical properties of its individual chromophores. BrC significantly influences the radiative budget of the climate and contributes to adverse air pollution effects such as reduced visibility and the presence of inhalable pollutants and irritants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Process Impacts
January 2025
Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Clinical Research Center for Chronic Obstructive Airway Diseases, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88, Olympic-ro 43-Gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05505, South Korea.
: Exposure to particulate matter <2.5 μm (PM) is linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but most studies lack individual PM measurements. Seasonal variation and their impact on clinical outcomes remain understudied.
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