Plumes of wildfire smoke can carry contaminants hundreds of kilometres, leaving a lingering toxic footprint that has the potential to be re-released into the environment, McMaster researchers show.
Plumes of wildfire smoke can carry contaminants hundreds of kilometres, leaving a lingering toxic footprint that has the potential to be re-released into the environment, McMaster researchers show.
In recent weeks, catastrophic wildfires have devasted Los Angeles, scorching tens of thousands of acres. Canada’s 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive ever recorded, destroying an estimated 45.7 million acres.
The frequency and severity of wildfires is expected to continue increasing due to climate change, and these events can become a troubling source of pollution in urban areas, researchers say.
Wildfire smoke features a complex mixture of pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of carcinogenic compounds that can also cause mutations in nature. PAHs are produced whenever incomplete combustion occurs, including when wood burns.
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Image: Researchers Sarah Styler (left) and Iris Chan say wildfire events may become an increasingly dominant and troubling source of pollution in urban areas. (Credit: McMaster University)
