Wildfire smoke's hidden ozone threat may be adding thousands of US deaths each year

A hidden wildfire pollutant causes thousands of excess deaths per year, satellite data shows

Wildfire-derived ozone appears responsible for 2,045 excess deaths, on average, per year across the U.S., 20 years of satellite data reveal.

Wildfire smoke's hidden ozone threat may be adding thousands of US deaths each year

A study that assesses the effects of wildfires over two decades shows that wildfire smoke significantly raises ground-level ozone and contributes to excess deaths from wildfire smoke in the United States each year. The research, led by Minghao Qiu, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University, is published in Science Advances.

Deaths from wildfire smoke are likely higher than previously thought

The true health effects and death toll from wildfire smoke are likely higher than previously thought, researchers report.