Exploring Methods of Smoke Generation to Simulate Wildfire Health Impacts

HOVANNESS DINGILIAN, David R. Cocker III, David Lo, Veronica Penuelas, University of California, Riverside

     Abstract Number: 431
     Working Group: Burning Questions of Aerosol Emissions, Chemistry, and Impacts from Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires

Abstract
Wildfire smoke has been linked to adverse human health effects in the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and, more recently identified, nervous system. Many different components, including black carbon, PAHs, and inorganic ions, make up wildfire smoke, each with a unique contribution to the overall impact. Methods in generating smoke include pyrolysis - smoking through intense heat - and generating smoke through a live burn in a closed system chamber. In this work, we investigate the similarities and differences in chemical composition between the smoke generated by these two methods. This chemical composition analysis includes Cation, Anion, PAH, Metal, and Elemental Carbon Analysis.

These findings show the distinctive features of each type of burn and their corresponding effects on health. These health effects were measured through mouse exposures which are carried out by having the wildfire smoke travel into acrylic chambers that house mice. Health impacts are analyzed through inflammatory response analysis which include comparing the percentage of neutrophils, alveolar macrophages, and other indicators with mice that are exposed to wildfire smoke and those that are not. The methodologies of this study can be applied to other instances of combustion emissions.