New York City cooled down by 3°C from Canadian wildfire smoke. It's bad news
In June 2023, smoke from massive Canadian wildfires turned New York City's skies an apocalyptic orange and unexpectedly cooled the region by about 3 degrees Celsius, a phenomenon known as 'global dimming.'While this temperature drop might seem beneficial amid concerns about global warming, Rutgers Health researchers warn it had dangerous consequences by trapping toxic air pollutants near the ground, according to a study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment.advertisementThe Rutgers team, led by Philip Demokritou and Georgios Kelesidis, analyzed the wildfire smoke particles that traveled nearly 1,000 kilometers to New York and New Jersey.
This toxic air 'lid' increased exposure to wildfire smoke and urban pollutants. (Photo: Reuters)
These particles, primarily brown carbon organic compounds, scattered sunlight away from the Earth's surface, blocking solar radiation and causing the cooling effect.However, this 'smoky umbrella' also limited natural air circulation, preventing pollution from dispersing and trapping harmful particles close to the surface.During the event, New York City experienced unprecedented levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), exceeding Environmental Protection Agency guidelines by three times and World Health Organization recommendations by eight times.advertisementThis toxic air 'lid' increased exposure to wildfire smoke and urban pollutants, exacerbating respiratory health problems. A companion Rutgers study published in Environmental Science & Technology revealed that about 9.2 milligrams of smoke particles were deposited in the lungs of exposed individuals, impairing lung immune cells' ability to fight infections by up to 50%.Epidemiological data confirmed a sharp rise in asthma-related emergency visits—between 44% and 82%—during the wildfire smoke peak.'This was the first event of this scale in the region, but it probably won't be the last,' Demokritou said, highlighting how climate change is driving more frequent and intense wildfires even in the Northeast US.This research shows the link between wildfire emissions, urban micro climates, and public health, questioning climate change mitigation strategies globally.Must Watch
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