Study links wildfire smoke exposure to increased dementia risk

SEATTLE – A study conducted by researchers from the University of Washington suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke significantly increases the risk of developing dementia in addition to suffering from other health impacts.

The study, recently published in the JAMA Neurology, analyzed the health records of 1.2 million residents of Southern California over more than a decade and found that substantial exposure to wildfire smoke increased the odds of a dementia diagnosis.

"There have been studies that have found total PM2.5 is related to people developing dementia, but no one had looked specifically at wildfire PM2.5," Joan Casey, an associate professor and author of the study, said in a statement.

Researchers stated that for every one microgram per cubic meter increase in wildfire exposure, the risk of dementia increased by a staggering 18%.

Extended exposure to other pollutants also raised the risk, but it had a significantly smaller impact than that from fires.

"One microgram per meter cubed might sound fairly small, but we have to think about how people are exposed to wildfire smoke," Casey stated. "Most days they aren’t exposed at all, so this might represent a few days of exposure at a concentration of something like 300 µg/m3, where the AQI is over 200 in someone’s community. When you think about it, it’s actually a few really severe wildfire smoke days that might translate into increased risk."

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Researchers noted that their study did not examine data from 2020 or 2021, which were considered to be extreme wildfire seasons in the Golden State and much of the West.

"As the climate changes, interventions focused on reducing wildfire PM2.5 exposure may reduce dementia diagnoses and related inequities," study authors stated.

A course of action that those near a wildfire can take is to monitor the status of the Air Quality Index. 

The index continuously monitors air quality for pollutants such as ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide while generating a value on a scale from 0 to 500.

A value of 0 on the AQI scale indicates that there is clean air around, while a value of 500 means the air is hazardous and poses serious health risks.

According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the nation’s average AQI was 48.6 in 2021, but some private organizations suggest that the value has continued to improve in recent years.

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The National Interagency Fire Center estimates that an average of 70,000 wildfires occur annually across the United States, with a significant number happening in California. 

According to estimates, approximately 90% of all wildfires are caused by human activity, which includes sparks from discarded cigarettes, debris burns, arson and malfunctioning utility equipment.

The study’s authors suggested that disparities in living conditions may expose certain populations to more frequent wildfire activity, increasing their risk of health problems.