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A recent NASA-funded study has revealed that wildfires have significantly contributed to the increase in ground-level ozone pollution across much of the contiguous United States over the past decade. This phenomenon generates unhealthy air even in areas far from active flames, extending the impact of fires well beyond their immediate location.

Tropospheric ozone, unlike stratospheric ozone which protects us from ultraviolet radiation, is an atmospheric pollutant harmful to human health and ecosystems. It forms from photochemical reactions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight. The study suggests that wildfire smoke contributes a considerable amount of these precursors, exacerbating ozone formation in the lower atmosphere.

“A recent NASA-funded study has revealed that wildfires have significantly contributed to the increase in ground-level ozone pollution across much of the contiguous United States over the past decade.”