from Lancet Planetary Health
Wildfires have become a tragic part of life in too many parts of North America. Beyond the financial devastation are the health risks from wildfire smoke. A study from Canada’s McGill University finds higher incidence of lung cancer and brain tumors in people exposed to wildfires. Researchers say people living within thirty miles of wildfires in the last ten years had ten percent higher incidence of brain tumors. The study, in Lancet Planetary Health, notes that wildfires ar predicted to become more prevalent, more severe and longer in duration. Researchers say further study is needed into the complex mixture of environmental pollutants released during—and long after wildfires, as well as developing methods to combat their chronic health effects.