Assessing Health Impacts of Canadian Wildfires on New York City: Asthma and Air Quality

Canadian Wildfire Smoke and Asthma Syndrome Emergency Department Visits in New York City

In 2023, wildfires in Canada not only impacted air quality locally but also had effects hundreds of kilometers away, such as in New York City (NYC), where they caused increased levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) known to affect health. While previous research focused on communities near wildfires, a study now investigates the link between these wildfires and asthma-related emergency department visits in NYC.

Conclusion: “Despite being located hundreds of kilometers away, the Canadian wildfires were associated with increased asthma syndrome ED visits in NYC during the June 2023 smoke wave.”

Chen K, Ma Y, Bell ML, Yang W. Canadian Wildfire Smoke and Asthma Syndrome Emergency Department Visits in New York City. JAMA. Published online September 21, 2023. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.18768

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2809900