What the study found
The study found that wildfire smoke PM2.5, meaning fine particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or smaller, was associated with substantial estimated health and economic burdens across Canada from 2019 to 2023. Exposure varied by place and time, and the authors also estimated long-term average exposure for 2013 to 2023.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that evaluating wildfire-PM2.5 health impacts is important because wildfire smoke makes a sizable contribution to air pollution in Canada. They also note anticipated increases in wildfire activity due to climate change.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used air quality modeling to estimate seasonal wildfire-PM2.5 exposure across Canada from 2019 to 2023. They then estimated annual acute and chronic health impacts, economic valuation of those impacts, and a long-term average annual exposure for 2013 to 2023.
What worked and what didn't
The modeled results suggested that annual premature deaths attributable to wildfire-PM2.5 ranged from 49 to 400 for acute exposure and from 660 to 5,400 for chronic exposure, with numerous non-fatal cardiorespiratory outcomes also estimated. The economic valuation ranged from $550 million to $4.4 billion per year for acute impacts and from $6.4 billion to $52 billion per year for chronic impacts; for the 2013 to 2023 average, the study estimated 1,900 attributable premature deaths and $18 billion in annual economic valuation.
What to keep in mind
The abstract reports modeled estimates with uncertainty intervals, including 95% confidence intervals, rather than direct measured health outcomes. It does not describe study limitations beyond the scope of the available summary.
Key points
- Wildfire smoke PM2.5 exposure varied across Canada by season, place, and year.
- Annual premature deaths attributable to acute exposure were estimated at 49 to 400 per year from 2019 to 2023.
- Annual premature deaths attributable to chronic exposure were estimated at 660 to 5,400 per year from 2019 to 2023.
- Economic valuation of health impacts was estimated at up to $4.4 billion per year for acute impacts and up to $52 billion per year for chronic impacts.
- For 2013 to 2023, more than 80% of the population had average seasonal exposure of at least 1.0 μg/m3.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Wildfire smoke PM2.5 caused estimated health and economic burdens in Canada
- Authors:
- Carlyn J. Matz, Marika Egyed, Xihong Wang, Annie Duhamel, Guoliang Xi, Robyn Rittmaster, Nedka Pentcheva, David M. Stieb
- Institutions:
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Health Canada, Health Canada, Health Canada, Health Canada, Institute of Population and Public Health, Institute of Population and Public Health, Statistics Canada
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-28
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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