Mortality due to Vegetation Fire–Originated PM _2.5 Exposure in Europe—Assessment for the Years 2005 and 2008

Abstract

Background:Vegetation fires can release substantial quantities of fine particles (PM2.5), which are harmful to health. The fire smoke may be transported over long distances and can cause adverse health effects over wide areas.Objective:We aimed to assess annual mortality attributable to short-term exposures to vegetation fire–originated PM2.5 in different regions of Europe.Methods:PM2.5 emissions from vegetation fires in Europe in 2005 and 2008 were evaluated based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data on fire radiative power. Atmospheric transport of the emissions was modeled using the System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric coMposition (SILAM) chemical transport model. Mortality impacts were estimated for 27 European countries based on a) modeled daily PM2.5 concentrations and b) population data, both presented in a 50 × 50 km2 spatial grid; c) an exposure–response function for short-term PM2.5 exposure and daily nonaccidental mortality; and d) country-level data for background mortality risk.Results:In the 27 countries overall, an estimated 1,483 and 1,080 premature deaths were attributable to the vegetation fire–originated PM2.5 in 2005 and 2008, respectively. Estimated impacts were highest in southern and eastern Europe. However, all countries were affected by fire-originated PM2.5, and even the lower concentrations in western and northern Europe contributed substantially (~ 30%) to the overall estimate of attributable mortality.Conclusions:Our assessment suggests that air pollution caused by PM2.5 released from vegetation fires is a notable risk factor for public health in Europe. Moreover, the risk can be expected to increase in the future as climate change proceeds. This factor should be taken into consideration when evaluating the overall health and socioeconomic impacts of these fires.Citation:Kollanus V, Prank M, Gens A, Soares J, Vira J, Kukkonen J, Sofiev M, Salonen RO, Lanki T. 2017. Mortality due to vegetation fire–originated PM2.5 exposure in Europe—assessment for the years 2005 and 2008. Environ Health Perspect 125:30–37; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP194

Cleaner fuels for ships provide public health benefits with climate tradeoffs

“…Geospatial emissions inventories provide input into the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s (FMI) System for Integrated modeLling of Atmospheric coMposition (SILAM) 27 – 29 . SILAM was run at geospatial resolution of 10 x 10 km and a temporal resolution of 3 h (see Methods section).…”

Wildfire smoke exposure and human health: Significant gaps in research for a growing public health issue

“…Too little data is available on the specific risks of wildfire smoke to make a conclusive comparison between wildfire smoke mortality and mortality from other air pollution sources. Many studies have found small associations between increased particulate matter due to wildfires and overall mortality (Johnston et al, 2011; Kollanus et al, 2017; Morgan et al, 2010; Sastry, 2002). However, at least one study suggests that the mortality rate observed during wildfire events is consistent with the increase in mortality from elevated PM 2.5 , regardless of source (Hänninen et al, 2009).…”

Mortality associated with wildfire smoke exposure in Washington state, 2006–2017: a case-crossover study

“…Four of five studies reported small increases in wildfire smoke associated mortality among all ages, however, all confidence intervals included the null [18][19][20][21]. The fifth study reported positive odds ratios (ORs) on lag days 0, 2, 3, and 4, but not on lag day 1 [22]. A study in Finland reported a 0.8% (95% CI: −3.5 -5.3%) increase in all-cause mortality per 10 μg/m 3 increase in same-day PM 2.5 concentration [19], while another study in Australia estimated that wildfire events were associated with a 2.0% (95% CI: −2.0 -5.0%) increase in the odds of same-day non-accidental mortality [21].…”