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Air-Quality Impacts and Intake Fraction of PM2.5 during the 2013 Rim Megafire
Kathleen M Navarro1, Ricardo Cisneros2, Susan M O'Neill3
1Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California-Berkeley , Berkeley, California 94720, United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|September 23, 2016
Summary
The 2013 Rim Fire smoke significantly impacted air quality across California and Nevada, extending far beyond the fire
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Atmospheric Chemistry
- Public Health
Background:
- The 2013 Rim Fire was a major wildfire in California's Sierra Nevada.
- Wildfire smoke poses significant air quality and health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the air quality impacts of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from the Rim Fire smoke.
- To assess the extent of smoke's reach and its contribution to air pollution in receptor areas.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of PM2.5 concentration data from 22 air monitoring sites.
- Estimation of the intake fraction (iF) for PM2.5 from wildfire smoke.
Main Results:
- PM2.5 concentrations varied widely, averaging 20 μg/m³ and reaching up to 450 μg/m³.
- The intake fraction for PM2.5 from smoke was 7.4 per million, higher than rural but lower than urban averages.
- Smoke impacts were observed in central and northern Sierra Nevada, California, and Nevada.
Conclusions:
- Wildfire smoke impacts air quality over large distances, affecting urban areas.
- Intake fraction is a useful metric for assessing wildfire smoke exposure.
- Air quality management must consider the widespread effects of large wildfires.
