Mutagenicity and Toxicity of Combustion Products from Synthetic Materials and Comparisons to Biomass Emissions

Presentation Abstract: This presentation will discuss differences in the chemical components of wildfire smoke depending on fuel types and burning temperatures and how such differences can promote similar or distinct toxicity outcomes. This will introduce how we develop a lab-scale combustion system to simulate various wildfire smoke emissions and present how our computational approach can be used to identify individual chemicals that drive specific toxic outcomes. This will also provide potential beneficial effects of particle filtration in reducing health impacts from acute exposure to wildfire smoke. This presentation will help to better understand health effects of smoke exposures from burning homes, structures, and man-made materials in the wildland urban interface (WUI) areas during wildfires. [This abstract does not represent EPA policy]  

Impact/Purpose

Wildland fires are increasing in size and incidence across the world and are a significant source of air pollution in the form of particulate matter, toxic vapors and noxious gases.   Inundation of smoke plumes into affected communities poses a major challenge for air quality management and public health.  In addition to biomass smoke, combustion of dwellings, businesses, automobiles, household appliances and chemicals, and a plethora of synthetic materials as occurred with the 2018 “Camp fire” in California and the 2021 “Marshall fire” in Boulder Colorado, results in toxic emissions that could have profound and long-lasting adverse health and ecological outcomes.  

Citation

Kim, Yong Ho. Mutagenicity and Toxicity of Combustion Products from Synthetic Materials and Comparisons to Biomass Emissions. Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, Nashville, TN, March 19 - 23, 2023.