A New Study Is Being Launched

By Sharon Franklin.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health announced in a recent article by Todd Datz, a multi-institutional collaboration study, L.A. Fire HEALTH Study. This study is being undertaken by researchers from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Davis, the University of Texas/Austin and T.H. Chan School of Public Health, all of which have expertise in environmental exposure assessment, health outcomes, wildfire risk assessment, management, and data science. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/long-term-multi-institutional-study-on-health-impacts-of-los-angeles-wildfires-launched/
The study’s focus will be on wildfire hazards, similar to the ones currently on-going in the Los Angeles, California and other urban areas, which have unique hazards arising from incinerated buildings, cars, and products. All of which can expose people to particulate gases, chemicals, heavy metals, asbestos, PFAS, microplastics, and other toxic pollutants. These potential health hazard exposure that can impact millions include:
- Acute respiratory symptoms and worsening of lung conditions, (asthma and COPD),
- Neurological impacts, (headaches and cognitive issues),
- Cardiovascular effects, (increased risk of heart disease and stroke),
- Immune system disruption,
- Reproductive health concerns, and
- Increased cancer risk.
Anthony Wexler, Director of Air Quality Research UC Davis, stated “Air pollutants, such as those from wildfires, are linked to short-term health problems such as asthma and longer-term ones such as Alzheimer’s disease”. Michael Jerrett, Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health stated “Here in Los Angeles, we know that communities need accurate and timely information about what individuals and families can do to prevent and mitigate health effects from fires, both in the near- and long-term,” … “With this study we can supply sound science to help residents repopulate and rebuild their neighborhoods safely, and for the first time, we can learn about the long-term health effects of wildfires.”
Kari Nadeau, a practicing physician, at Harvard Medical School, and also a professor at Harvard Chan School, said “This was an environmental and health disaster that will unfold over decades,” and“ By bringing together experts from across multiple institutions and disciplines, we can rigorously examine the health effects from the wildfires’ toxic particles and gases that have spread hundreds of miles beyond the fire zones and provide the communities with this information in real time.”
What Are the Study’s Goals?
To distribute the findings to civilians, firefighters, businesses, researchers, and government agencies.
- To examine which pollutants are present,
- at what levels, where, and
- how they change over time;
- To determine if the fires and aftermath are associated with chronic health effects in the nearby populations;
- To share evidence-based, rapid answers to the affected communities; and
- To distribute the findings to civilians, firefighters, businesses, researchers, and government agencies.