IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i13p6987-d585227.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Respiratory Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke during Summer of 2018 in the Jämtland Härjedalen Region, Sweden

Author

Listed:
  • Andreas Tornevi

    (Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, SE90187 Umeå, Sweden)

  • Camilla Andersson

    (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Folkborgsvägen 17, SE60176 Norrköping, Sweden)

  • Ana Cristina Carvalho

    (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Folkborgsvägen 17, SE60176 Norrköping, Sweden)

  • Joakim Langner

    (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Folkborgsvägen 17, SE60176 Norrköping, Sweden)

  • Nikolai Stenfors

    (Section of Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, SE90187 Umeå, Sweden)

  • Bertil Forsberg

    (Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, SE90187 Umeå, Sweden)

Abstract

During the summer of 2018 Sweden experienced a high occurrence of wildfires, most intense in the low-densely populated Jämtland Härjedalen region. The aim of this study was to investigate any short-term respiratory health effects due to deteriorated air quality generated by the smoke from wildfires. For each municipality in the region Jämtland Härjedalen, daily population-weighted concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) were calculated through the application of the MATCH chemistry transport model. Modelled levels of PM 2.5 were obtained for two summer periods (2017, 2018). Potential health effects of wildfire related levels of PM 2.5 were examined by studying daily health care contacts concerning respiratory problems in each municipality in a quasi-Poisson regression model, adjusting for long-term trends, weekday patterns and weather conditions. In the municipality most exposed to wildfire smoke, having 9 days with daily maximum 1-h mean of PM 2.5 > 20 μg/m 3 , smoke days resulted in a significant increase in daily asthma visits the same and two following days (relative risk (RR) = 2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.28–5.47). Meta-estimates for all eight municipalities revealed statistically significant increase in asthma visits (RR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.09–2.57) and also when grouping all disorders of the lower airways (RR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.01–1.92).

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Tornevi & Camilla Andersson & Ana Cristina Carvalho & Joakim Langner & Nikolai Stenfors & Bertil Forsberg, 2021. "Respiratory Health Effects of Wildfire Smoke during Summer of 2018 in the Jämtland Härjedalen Region, Sweden," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:6987-:d:585227
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/6987/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/6987/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Olsson & Magnus Ekström & Bertil Forsberg, 2012. "Temporal Variation in Air Pollution Concentrations and Preterm Birth—A Population Based Epidemiological Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, January.
    2. Camilla Geels & Camilla Andersson & Otto Hänninen & Anne Sofie Lansø & Per E. Schwarze & Carsten Ambelas Skjøth & Jørgen Brandt, 2015. "Future Premature Mortality Due to O 3 , Secondary Inorganic Aerosols and Primary PM in Europe — Sensitivity to Changes in Climate, Anthropogenic Emissions, Population and Building Stock," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-33, March.
    3. Olga M. Lozano & Michele Salis & Alan A. Ager & Bachisio Arca & Fermin J. Alcasena & Antonio T. Monteiro & Mark A. Finney & Liliana Del Giudice & Enrico Scoccimarro & Donatella Spano, 2017. "Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Wildfire Exposure in Mediterranean Areas," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(10), pages 1898-1916, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kaj M. Hansen & Jesper H. Christensen & Jørgen Brandt, 2015. "The Influence of Climate Change on Atmospheric Deposition of Mercury in the Arctic—A Model Sensitivity Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Margherita Carlucci & Ilaria Zambon & Andrea Colantoni & Luca Salvati, 2019. "Socioeconomic Development, Demographic Dynamics and Forest Fires in Italy, 1961–2017: A Time-Series Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-17, March.
    3. David Olsson & Christer Johansson & Bertil Forsberg, 2020. "Associations between Vehicle Exhaust Particles and Ozone at Home Address and Birth Weight," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-17, May.
    4. Galizia, Luiz Felipe & Alcasena, Fermín & Prata, Gabriel & Rodrigues, Marcos, 2021. "Assessing expected economic losses from wildfires in eucalypt plantations of western Brazil," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    5. Colonico, Mario & Tomao, Antonio & Ascoli, Davide & Corona, Piermaria & Giannino, Francesco & Moris, Jose V. & Romano, Raoul & Salvati, Luca & Barbati, Anna, 2022. "Rural development funding and wildfire prevention: Evidences of spatial mismatches with fire activity," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    6. Michele Salis & Liliana Del Giudice & Roghayeh Jahdi & Fermin Alcasena-Urdiroz & Carla Scarpa & Grazia Pellizzaro & Valentina Bacciu & Matilde Schirru & Andrea Ventura & Marcello Casula & Fabrizio Ped, 2022. "Spatial Patterns and Intensity of Land Abandonment Drive Wildfire Hazard and Likelihood in Mediterranean Agropastoral Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, October.
    7. Claudio Francesco Nicolosi & Giuseppe Marco Tina & Ghjuvan Antone Faggianelli & Gilles Notton, 2023. "A Climatological Survey of Corsica for Power System Analyses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-30, October.
    8. Cynthia J. Bashore & Laura A. Geer & Xin He & Robin Puett & Patrick J. Parsons & Christopher D. Palmer & Amy J. Steuerwald & Ovadia Abulafia & Mudar Dalloul & Amir Sapkota, 2014. "Maternal Mercury Exposure, Season of Conception and Adverse Birth Outcomes in an Urban Immigrant Community in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-29, August.
    9. Nadia Politi & Diamando Vlachogiannis & Athanasios Sfetsos & Nikolaos Gounaris & Vassiliki Varela, 2023. "Investigation of Fire Weather Danger under a Changing Climate at High Resolution in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:6987-:d:585227. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.