New research by scientists at McGill University in Canada, and published in the scientific journal The Lancet, has found that exposure to wildfires is associated with an increased incidence of lung cancer and brain tumors.
For nearly 20 years, researchers tracked more than 2 million Canadians, some of whom were exposed to smoke from wildfires — even in regions far from where they lived — and analyzed cancer-related outcomes.
The team found that people who lived within 50 kilometers of wildfires in the last ten years had a 10% higher incidence of brain tumors and nearly 5% higher incidence of lung cancer when compared with individuals who lived further away.
In a statement, Scott Weichenthal, professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill University, said that “forest fires tend to happen in the same places every year, and that science knows very little about the long-term effects of these health events.
Some regions record forest fires annually. The southwestern United States, for example, has seen California and Oregon burn in residential areas in recent years.
Climate change and impacts on human health
With climate change, forest fires are predicted to become more frequent, severe and longer lasting in the future. Canadian scientists said many of the pollutants emitted by wildfires are known human carcinogens.
The researchers added that the increased incidence of wildfires could expose people living in these risk areas to chronic carcinogenic pollutants.
The research also cites impacts on air quality and pollution in aquatic, soil and indoor environments.
While some pollutants return to normal concentrations shortly after the fire is out, other chemicals can persist in the environment for long periods of time, including heavy metals and hydrocarbons.
“Exposure to harmful environmental pollutants can continue beyond the active burn period through various exposure pathways,” Weichenthal said.
The researchers stress that more studies are needed to understand the influence of environmental pollutants released during wildfires.
Source: CNN Brasil
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