Understanding the threat of wildfire smoke-borne metals

Wildfires are contributing a rapidly increasing proportion of key air pollutants across the U.S., but their health effects remain poorly understood. Altered by fire, naturally occurring soil- and plant-borne metals, such as chromium, are transformed into a toxic state associated with deleterious health effects. Little is known about how fire intensity and soil type affect this process. Researchers will develop a set of geospatial tools that predicts the threat of toxic chromium generation and downstream exposure, and will determine solutions through mitigation strategies that limit exposure risk to first responders and local communities.