Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-15-2020
Abstract
As summer approaches, two forces of nature are on a collision course, and wildland firefighters will be caught in the middle.
New research suggests that the smoke firefighters breathe on the front lines of wildfires is putting them at greater risk from the new coronavirus, with potentially lethal effects.
At the same time, firefighting conditions make precautions such as social distancing and hand-washing difficult, increasing the chance that, once the virus enters a fire camp, it could quickly spread.
As an environmental toxicologist, I have spent the last decade expanding our understanding of how wood smoke exposure impacts human health. Much of my current research is focused on protecting the long-term health of wildland firefighters and the communities they serve.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Publication Information
Montrose, Luke. (2020). "Wildfire Smoke Worsens Coronavirus Risk, Putting Firefighters in Extra Danger". The Conversation, .
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Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons