Title:
Impact of Long-Distance Transport of PM2.5 from the 2023 Canadian Wildfires on COVID-19 Hospitalizations in the Eastern U.S.
Author(s):
Alex Parker
Author Email:
aparke10@unca.edu
Department:
ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
Faculty Mentor(s):
Elaine Godfrey
Abstract / Summary:
The United States has seen an increase in the intensity and frequency of wildfires, and emissions from wildfires may impact health in negative ways that society does not entirely understand. The consequent increase in PM2.5 levels often leads to respiratory and cardiovascular problems for those nearby; these conditions also present most commonly in those hospitalized with COVID-19. Consequently, PM2.5 exposure from wildfire smoke correlates to increased COVID-19 hospitalizations near the fires—this connection remains understudied for long-distance transport of wildfire smoke. The analysis investigates the height of the Canadian wildfires in June and July of 2023 and considers eight counties with varying distances from active fires: four valley locations and four flat terrain locations. In these locations, this study examines PM2.5 levels, COVID-19 hospitalizations, and viral gene copies of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. A calculation of correlation coefficients between COVID-19 hospitalizations and both PM2.5 and viral gene copies of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater determined the cause of hospitalizations at each location—either a spike in PM2.5 levels or a wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the region. A comparison of PM2.5 levels and COVID-19 hospitalizations at three locations suggests a spike in the latter due to the former. At the distances considered, no increase in hospitalizations exists due to smoke resting in valleys longer than in flat areas. Past 2000 miles from the wildfire epicenter in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, the correlation between COVID-19 hospitalizations and wastewater gene copies was stronger than with hospitalizations and PM2.5—indicating that poor air quality did not impact COVID-19 hospitalizations in these regions. As wildfire frequency and intensity increase, and COVID-19 becomes a part of the new normal, understanding the effects of the changing environment on human health remains an important goal.
Publication Date:
May-14-2024
Documents: