There has been news lately about fine particle pollution (PM2.5): wildfire smoke increasing as the planet gets hotter, bacterial toxins attaching to PM2.5, and how PM2.5 gets everywhere in our body.
Wildfire smoke:
A new study finds that in 2050, fine particle pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke will be about triple what it is now.
Climate change is making Earth warmer and drier, creating perfect conditions for wildfires. As wildfires become more common, our exposure to dangerous smoke increases. Exposure to wildfire PM2.5 causes lots of health issues, including lung, heart, and even brain disease. Nationally, deaths from wildfires could increase from 40,000 to 71,000 per year. Georgia’s increase in deaths from wildfires is ranked the 10th highest of all states in the U.S.
Georgia’s number of deaths from wildfire smoke could increase by as much as 75% from what they were in 2011-2020. Deaths from wildfire smoke in Georgia could increase from 1290 deaths (historical) to 2246 (worst scenario, if greenhouse gas emissions continue fueling climate change.). Much of the increase across the southeast will be from our own wildfires, not those out west.
Bacterial toxins:
Another study shows that PM2.5 can contain bacterial toxins. The bacterial toxins that attach to PM2.5 can cause severe inflammation. This is especially true for the lining of our lungs and airways. It’s one of the reasons PM2.5 is so harmful for our health.
How PM2.5 gets spread through our body:
Researchers in London discovered that after breathing air pollution from a busy highway for an hour, people had 2-3 times as much PM2.5 stuck to their red blood cells. This was compared to before exposure, when the people were inside an office building. They also found that wearing FFP2 masks (about the same as n95 masks) prevented PM2.5 exposure. This could explain how PM2.5 gets everywhere in our body – by attaching to red blood cells. As one of the researchers said: “tiny air pollution particles are hijacking our red blood cells.” It also points to a simple solution – if you are outside near a busy highway, consider an N-95 mask.
Here are all the links, please read all these very interesting articles:
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5544451/wildfire-smoke-death-increases
(The actual scientific study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09611-w.epdf)
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03052-1
AKMB/MJT 10/22/25
