Wildfire smoke may ramp up toxic ozone production in cities

 

Esa Rana

1/5/22

Chemistry/Period B

Current Event #9

I read the article, “Wildfire smoke may ramp up toxic ozone production in cities,” by Ariana Remmel. The core idea of this article is how the smoke from wildfires can escalate the amount of toxic ozone produced in cities. The article starts with how the effect of the wildfires spreading causes air quality to drop. “As wildfires rage, they transform their burned fuel into a complex chemical cocktail of smoke. Many of these airborne compounds, including ozone, cause air quality to plummet as wind carries the smoldering haze over cities.” Says Joel Thornton, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle. There has been a study that says, “A new study has now revealed the elusive chemistry behind ozone production in wildfire plumes. The findings suggest that mixing wildfire smoke with nitrogen oxides — toxic gases found in car exhaust — could pump up ozone levels in urban areas.” researchers report December 8 in Science Advances. This is evidence to prove that the mixing of the ozone and gasses from wildfires is causing the air quality to plummet in major cities all around the world. The author then speaks about what the effects this will have on humans and wildlife. Ozone can cause respiratory problems, lung damage, shortness of breath, coughing. Wildlife can experience similar effects as humans ,shortness of breath, coughing. 

You may be wondering how this affects my life? If us as a society are exposed to poor air quality for a long time they can have crucial affects on our bodies, “Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as:Accelerated aging of the lungs Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer Shortened life span.” This may not only affect us humans but our world. Our oceans and soil can be contaminated causing a break in the food chain and causing shortages of animal product.

Overall I really enjoyed this article and it was loaded with information and facts. It made me question how easily our world can be turned around by simple things and that we need to keep our air quality clean just to live as humans. If I were to add one thing I would have talked more about environmental effects.

Works Cited

“Air Quality Information for the Sacramento Region.” Spare The Air: Health Effects of Air Pollution, www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm#:~:text=Long-term exposure to polluted,bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer.

Remmel, Ariana. “Wildfire Smoke May Ramp up Toxic Ozone Production in Cities.” Science News, 8 Dec. 2021, www.sciencenews.org/article/wildfire-smoke-toxic-ozone-urban-air-pollution-cities.