Associations between short-term exposure to wildfire particulate matter and respiratory outcomes: A systematic review

The frequency and severity of wildfires have been sharply increasing due to climate change, which largely contributes to ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution. We conducted a systematic review focusing on the short-term relationships between PM attributable to wildfires (wildfire-specific PM) and diverse respiratory endpoints, with a comparison between the effects of wildfire-specific PM vs. all-source/non-wildfire PM.

A comprehensive online search for the literature published from 2000 to 2022 was conducted through PubMed, Web of Sciences, Scopus, and EMBASE. We applied search terms related to wildfire smoke and respiratory health outcomes.

In total, 3196 articles were retrieved, and 35 articles were included in this review. Most studies focused on the associations of wildfire-specific PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) with respiratory emergency department visits or hospitalizations, with a time-series or case-crossover study design. Studies were mostly conducted in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Positive associations of wildfire-specific PM with respiratory morbidity were observed in most studies. Studies that focused on respiratory mortality were limited. Females can be more vulnerable to the respiratory impacts of wildfire PM, while the evidence of vulnerable subpopulations among different age groups was inconclusive. Few studies compared the effects of wildfire-specific vs. all-source/non-wildfire PM, and some reported higher levels of toxicity of wildfire-specific PM, potentially due to its distinct chemical and physical compositions. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the most studied diseases, and both were adversely affected by wildfire-specific PM.

To our knowledge, this is the first review that systematically summarized the associations of wildfire-specific PM exposure with adverse respiratory outcomes and compared associations of wildfire-specific vs. all-source/non-wildfire PM. Further investigations may add to the literature by examining the impacts on respiratory mortality and the effects of specific PM components from different types of wildfires.