What are the direct impacts of fires on air quality and aerosol transport?

Intense wildfires in Southern California significantly increased the concentrations of PM, ozone, and other pollutants exceeding current U.S. air quality standards (Fig. 5; Phuleria et al. 2005; Pfister et al. 2008) and pose adverse health effects on exposed populations (Kunzli et al. 2006; Delfino et al. 2009; Verma et al. 2009; Wegesser et al. 2009). It is difficult to separate wildfire-generated PM and ozone from other urban sources in the heavily urbanized LA Basin, and most studies focused on individual fire events with point surface air quality measurements. The analysis of fire effects on air quality and human health on a broader spatial and temporal extent is needed in order to identify the communities most vulnerable to air quality degradation due to wildfires.

• WRF-chem simulation of PM and Ozone from fires (UCLA)
• Impacts on air quality and human health (UCLA)