Video: Wildfire smoke's effects on childhood asthma

by Joshua Defibaugh, University of Vermont

edited by Lisa Lock, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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Last summer, smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed Vermont, darkening the sunset and significantly reducing air quality. But Anna Maassel, a Ph.D. candidate in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and a student fellow at the Gund Institute, is researching another angle to wildfire smoke that hasn't been studied in the region: its effect on childhood asthma.

Vermont has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country, and the effects of wildfire smoke have not been fully researched, especially in the Northeast.

"A lot that's been studied about wildfire smoke so far, and health impacts, is focused on areas that are really familiar with it, like California or Australia. And it's pretty new to Vermont and this part of the United States, so not much research has been done yet," Maassel said. "And a lot of people are really concerned about it. So studying it here at a local level has benefits for our community."

Key medical concepts

Asthma in Children

Clinical categories

PediatricsChildren's healthPulmonary medicineCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by University of Vermont Who's behind this story?

Lisa Lock

BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

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