Air Pollution From Forest and Vegetation Fires in Southeast Asia Disproportionately Impacts the Poor.

ABSTRACT: Forest and vegetation fires, used as tools for agriculture and deforestation, are a major source of air pollutants and can cause serious air quality issues in many parts of Asia. Actions to reduce fire may offer considerable, yet largely unrecognized, options for rapid improvements in air quality. In this study, we used a combination of regional and global air quality models and observations to examine the impact of forest and vegetation fires on air quality degradation and public health in Southeast Asia (including Mainland Southeast Asia and south-eastern China). We found that eliminating fire could substantially improve regional air quality across Southeast Asia by reducing the population exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations by 7% and surface ozone conce

SUBMITTER: Reddington CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8411873 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature