Pollution, Pregnancy, and Priorities, Daily Brief, 22 August, 2024

Climate change is causing all sorts of problems for people around the world, not least health problems. A new report from HRW and Nurturely, looks specifically at maternal health in the US state of Oregon, where wildfires are on the increase.

The chain of causes is straightforward enough. Our fossil fuel use drives climate change. Climate change creates hotter, drier conditions in many places. Those conditions make wildfires – and “megafires” – more likely. More fires mean more hazardous smoke.

There’s a particular problem with wildfire smoke, too – literally a particular problem. Health experts are most concerned about the “particulate matter” or “fine particles” that make up around 90% of total particle mass of wildfire smoke. Fine particles are also known as PM2.5, because they are generally 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller.

That’s really, really tiny. A grain of sand is maybe about 90 microns wide, a human hair is 50 to 70 microns, and piece of pollen might be around 10 microns. These wildfire smoke particles are 2.5 microns. These things are so tiny, we can breathe them in deep into our lungs, and from there, they get into our bloodstream, causing damage and inflammation all over our bodies.

It’s hardly surprising, then, that studies show PM2.5 is associated with worse maternal and newborn health.

On days with hazardous air pollution, authorities often advise people to stay inside or reduce outside activity, especially strenuous activity. They tell folks to wear an N95 mask. They say to use air purifiers at home.

There are a number of technical issues with such advice. Yes, masks can help if used correctly, as can purifiers, but they don’t catch everything.

But more importantly, this kind of advice simply isn’t very realistic for a lot of people. If you work outdoors, for example, you can’t simply “stay inside.” If you rent, you might not be able to make the necessary improvements to your home to help reduce levels of wildfire pollutants indoors. If you can’t afford an air purifier, what then?

The new report offers a number of recommendations for authorities across the US to better address this issue. For example, if you’re pregnant, Medicaid (a joint federal and state program in the US that helps cover medical costs for some people on limited income) should pay for things like air filters.

But big-picture, of course, the solution needs to get back to the ultimate source of the problem: humanity’s addiction to burning fossil fuels, the largest driver of climate change.

The US, as the world’s biggest oil and gas producer, has a key role to play in the global transition away from fossil fuels. The very health of people in the US depends on it.