2021

Author(s): Casey JA, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Elser H, Walker D, Taylor S, Adams S, Aguilera R, Benmarhnia T, Catalano R

Wildfire smoke harms health. We add to this literature by evaluating the health effects of California's 2018 Carr Fire and preceding wildfire seasons in Shasta County. METHODS: With data from the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency, we examined the link between weekly wildfire fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) exposure estimated using a spatiotemporal multiple imputation approach and emergency department (ED) visits and mortality using time-series models that controlled for temporal trends and temperature. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2018, Shasta County experienced 19 weeks with average wildfire PM(2.5) ?5.5 ?g/m(3) (hereafter, "high wildfire PM(2.5) concentration"). Among all Shasta County Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs; n = 36), we detected no association between high wildfire PM(2.5) concentrations and respiratory or circulatory disease-related ED visits or mortality. Subsequent analyses were confined to valley ZCTAs (n = 11, lower elevation, majority of population, worse air quality in general). In valley ZCTAs, high wildfire PM(2.5) was associated with a 14.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.2, 24.9) increase in same-week respiratory disease-related ED visits but no increase in the subsequent 2 weeks nor on circulatory disease-related mortality or ED visits or all-cause mortality. Two weeks after high wildfire PM(2.5) weeks, respiratory disease-related deaths decreased (-31.5%, 95% CI = -64.4, 1.5). The 2018 Carr Fire appeared to increase respiratory disease-related ED visits by 27.0% (95% CI = 4.0, 50.0) over expectation and possibly reduce circulatory disease-related deaths (-18.2%, 95% CI = -39.4, 2.9). CONCLUSIONS: As climate change fuels wildfire seasons, studies must continue to evaluate their health effects, particularly in highly exposed populations.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/ee9.0000000000000124