A recent study has found that smoke from forest fires can be more dangerous to mental health than other types of air pollution.
The report, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia, comes at a time when millions of people in Western America have been warned about the air quality affected by forest fires.
The main concern is the fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, which consists of particles 30 times smaller than a human hair and can enter the lungs and reach the bloodstream.
Pollution from traffic, factories, and fires can cause or worsen heart and lung diseases, and new research suggests it may also contribute to the development of dementia.
The study reviewed health data from 1.2 million individuals in Southern California between 2009 and 2019.
Researchers assessed air quality monitoring and other data to estimate PM 2.5 exposure from forest fires and other sources over the past three years.
The study found that for every 1 microgram increase in particulate matter from forest fires, there was up to a 21 percent increase in the diagnosis of dementia.