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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Melissa A. Tinling; J. Jason West; Wayne E. Cascio; Vasu J. Kilaru; Ana G. Rappold
Publication Date: 2016

Background: Cardiovascular health effects of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure from wildfire smoke are neither definitive nor consistent with PM2.5 from other air pollution sources. Non-comparability among wildfire health studies limits research conclusions. Methods: We examined cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes related to peat wildfire smoke exposure in a population where strong associations were previously reported for the 2008 Evans Road peat wildfire. We conducted a population-based epidemiologic investigation of associations between daily county-level modeled wildfire PM2.5 and cardiopulmonary emergency department (ED) visits during the 2011 Pains Bay wildfire in eastern North Carolina. We estimated changes in the relative risk cumulative over 0–2 lagged days of wildfire PM2.5 exposure using a quasi-Poisson regression model adjusted for weather, weekends, and poverty. Results: Relative risk associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in 24-h PM2.5 was significantly elevated in adults for respiratory/other chest symptoms 1.06 (1.00–1.13), upper respiratory infections 1.13 (1.05–1.22), hypertension 1.05 (1.00–1.09) and ‘all-cause’ cardiac outcomes 1.06 (1.00–1.13) and in youth for respiratory/other chest symptoms 1.18 (1.06–1.33), upper respiratory infections 1.14 (1.04–1.24) and ‘all-cause’ respiratory conditions 1.09 (1.01–1.17). Conclusions: Our results replicate evidence for increased risk of cardiovascular outcomes from wildfire PM2.5 and suggest that cardiovascular health should be considered when evaluating the public health burden of wildfire smoke.

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Citation: Tinling, Melissa A.; West, J. Jason; Cascio, Wayen E.; Kilaru, Vasu; Rappold, Ana G. 2016. Repeating cardiopulmonary health effects in rural North Carolina population during a second large peat wildfire. Environmental Health 15:12.

Cataloging Information

Regions:
Keywords:
  • cardiopulmonary
  • cardiovascular effects
  • fire management
  • forest management
  • health effects
  • health factors
  • hypertension
  • North Carolina
  • peat fires
  • PM - particulate matter
  • PM2.5
  • public health
  • respiratory effects
  • smoke effects
  • smoke management
  • syndromic surveillance
  • wildfires
Tall Timbers Record Number: 32954Location Status: Not in fileCall Number: AvailableAbstract Status: Okay, Fair use
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 24489

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.