As wildfires worsen, so does human health, according to a 2021 UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography study measuring fine particulate matter.

As new wildfires spark daily – including one Jan 23 in La Jolla – and the sunshine has a sepia haze to it, some have wondered how harmful pollution from wildfire smoke can be.

A 2021 study by researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography found that the fine particles in wildfire smoke can be several times more harmful to human respiratory health than those from other sources like car exhaust.

The scientists focused on Southern California and examined 14 years of hospital admissions data in the study and tiny, airborne particles up to 2.5 microns in diameter.

The particles, called PM2.5, are the main component of wildfire smoke able to penetrate the human respiratory tract, enter the bloodstream and impair vital organs.

The research suggests that wildfires, even from a distance, are a pressing human health concern.

As Santa Ana winds propel wildfires in the region and blow smoke west towards populated coastal regions and with increased wildfire activity due to climate change, scientists have called for better early wildfire detection systems and efforts to mitigate climate change, as the pollution from wildfire smoke will continue to worsen.

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