Health
Federal Environment Agency: Fine dust makes forest fire smoke dangerous
Fires have broken out on two former military training areas in south-western Mecklenburg. photo
© Thomas Schulz/dpa
Whether far away in Canada or here in Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: In some places, forest fires have recently caused a stir. How dangerous is the smoke for health?
According to the Federal Environment Agency (Uba), the main health risk from forest fire smoke is caused by exposure to fine dust.
Very small particles in particular (PM 2.5) are of great importance to health because they can penetrate very deeply into the lungs and cause damage there, the Federal Environment Agency (Uba) said at the request of the German Press Agency. “These primarily affect the lungs, but also the cardiovascular system.” Very fine particles could also pass into the blood and thus in principle reach all organs.
Inflammation in body cells
Overall, fine dust leads to increased mortality, explained Germany’s central environmental authority. The particles triggered inflammation and stress in the cells of the human body. “If this continues over a longer period of time, it can lead to illness.” A short-term, i.e. hours or days long, high exposure leads to high blood pressure and hospital and emergency admissions, mostly due to cardiovascular diseases.
Depending on the type of fire, many other pollutants such as methane and nitrogen dioxide can be produced and spread during forest fires, according to Uba. The load depends, for example, on whether the environment is polluted or not and whether houses, warehouses, machines, cars or ammunition are also burning in addition to the forest. Dioxins and heavy metals such as mercury and lead, attached to fine dust particles, could also be contained in the smoke. According to the Uba, high levels of air pollution from forest fires can sometimes also be measured at a greater distance from the source of the fire.
Acute smoke poisoning is rare
“Various studies point to connections between airway irritation, reduced lung function, worsening of pre-existing diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive bronchitis (COPD) or increased heart attacks in forest fire areas,” continues the Uba. In addition, there is evidence that forest fires that occur in the later months of pregnancy could lead to a lower birth weight and premature birth in newborns.
According to Uba, acute health effects depend on how long the exposure lasts and how severe it is. Acute smoke poisoning is rather rare because particles and gases in such fires are distributed rather quickly in the atmosphere. Breathing in hot air can cause burns, especially in the upper respiratory tract. Various inhaled pollutants could lead to local inflammatory reactions with tissue swelling, so that breathing and lung function could be significantly restricted. A common cause of death is the inhalation of toxic gases such as carbon monoxide. The further away you are from the burning area, the less likely acute health effects are.