Despite fears to the contrary, Canadian wildfire smoke exposure was not much worse than a bad pollen day in New York City
New Yorkers can apparently breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now. Their exposure to the smoke in June 2023 from Canadian wildfires led to only a slightly higher bump in visits to New York City hospital emergency departments for breathing problems or asthma attacks than what is seen on days when pollen counts are high. However, authors of a new study say other possible health effects, such as possible heart attacks and stroke, still need to be investigated.
For the study, researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine analyzed daily levels of air pollution, as measured by the presence of tiny particles known as particulate matter 2.5, which can if lodged deep in the lungs lead to inflammation, as well as respiratory and heart problems.
Related Knowledge Center: Air emissions
More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts.