Wildland Fire Emissions Worse in Polluted Areas

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Wildland Fire Emissions Worse in Polluted Areas

Published: March 11, 2016.
Released by University of California - Riverside



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RIVERSIDE, Calif. (http://www.ucr.edu) -- When plant matter burns, it releases a complex mixture of gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. In forests subject to air pollution, these emissions may be more toxic than in areas of good air quality, according to a new study by the University of California, Riverside and the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station.

The results suggest biomass burning of polluted forest fuels may exacerbate poor air quality--and related health concerns--in some of the world's most heavily polluted areas, among them, the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which is expected to suffer from more wildfires as drought conditions continue.

The study, which was led by Akua Asa-Awuku, a researcher at the Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at UC Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering, was published online recently (March 2) in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
http://www.sciencenewsline.com/news/2016031121420052.html