Western wildfires bring ‘new peak to air pollution,’ new study finds
The large, intense wildfires that have scorched the Pacific Northwest in recent years are altering the seasonal pattern of air pollution and causing a surge in unhealthy air pollutants in August — as well as undermining clean air gains and posing potential health risks to millions across the continent, a new study found. The research, helmed by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and published this week in Nature Communications, pointed to a sharp increase in carbon monoxide levels during the month of August — a time when carbon monoxide levels have historically remained low.
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