Climate change and forest fires as health risk factors (Analytical review)

UDC: 
614.72
DOI: 
10.21668/health.risk/2024.3.14.eng
Authors: 

B.A. Revich

Organization: 

Institute of Economic Forecasting of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 47 Nakhimovskii Ave., Moscow, 117418, Russian Federation

Abstract: 

Climate change in Russia contributes to an increase in the number of forest fires, especially in Siberia and the Far East, leading to the rise in the forest fire danger index. Increased air pollution, which is typical for a number of cities in these regions, is the reason for changes in population health due to the influx of significant volumes of smoke gases from forest fires into populated areas. Smoke from forest fires, consists of aerosols and gases and contains more than 40 pollutants. During fires, frequency of calls for emergency medical care for children tends to increase due to exacerbation of upper respiratory tract diseases, including laryngitis, pharyngitis and acute respiratory infections, as well as attacks of bronchial asthma, and longer exacerbation periods of this disease. Such respiratory dysfunctions appear a few days after fires, which should be taken into account when organizing health monitoring in such situations. Among adult population, an increase in the number of deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases has been proven during forest fires, and there tends to be an increase in the number of requests for medical care for COPD, bronchial asthma, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease and other diseases. Fires in forest highlands in the Khabarovsk Krai result in deteriorating health of patients with neurological diseases.

The generalization of the results obtained by domestic and foreign studies on this issue confirms the need to improve the air pollution monitoring system during forest fires with the determination of PM for timely preventive measures by health systems, Rospotrebnadzor, FMBA and other agencies. It also seems necessary to develop modeling of pollutant spread in ambient air in settlements exposed to them, with assessments of population health risks and development of preventive measures. Given the relevance of these studies, it is advisable to hold seminars with BRICS countries within the framework of international cooperation.

Keywords: 
climate change, forest fires, population mortality and incidence, diseases of the upper airways, bronchial asthma, air quality monitoring, risk factor
Revich B.A. Climate change and forest fires as health risk factors (analytical review). Health Risk Analysis, 2024, no. 3, pp. 132–145. DOI: 10.21668/health.risk/2024.3.14.eng
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Received: 
21.07.2024
Approved: 
19.09.2024
Accepted for publication: 
23.09.2024

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