Alberta researchers are studying the living organisms lurking in wildfire smoke
Researchers from several Canadian universities are studying the microbiome of wildfire smoke to understand the chemical and microbial composition of the particles. The project aims to create standard operating procedures and health fingerprints to help develop better medical treatments for smoke inhalation.
Why it matters
As wildfires become more frequent, understanding the biological risks of smoke inhalation is critical for public health and medical preparedness.
If you’ve spent time outside in virtually any part of Canada this summer, you’ve likely been choked by wildfire smoke. But just how harmful is that smoke? Is it similar to inhaling, say, second-hand cigarette smoke, or is there something even more sinister wafting in those fumes? Researchers are trying to find out.
“You’d think fire is going to kill everything that’s alive, but … there’s pretty reasonable scientific evidence that suggests microbes could live.”
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