Respiratory risks from wildfire-specific PM2.5 across multiple countries and territories

Yiwen Zhang, Rongbin Xu, Wenzhong Huang, Tingting Ye, Pei Yu, Wenhua Yu, Yao Wu, Yanming Liu, Zhengyu Yang, Bo Wen, Ke Ju, Jiangning Song, Michael J. Abramson, Amanda Johnson, Anthony Capon, Bin Jalaludin, Donna Green, Eric Lavigne, Fay H. Johnston, Geoffrey G. Morgan, Luke D. Knibbs, Ying Zhang, Guy Marks, Jane Heyworth, Julie Arblaster, Yue Leon Guo, Lidia Morawska, Micheline S. Z. S. Coelho, Paulo H. N. Saldiva, Patricia Matus, Peng Bi, Simon Hales, Wenbiao Hu, Dung Phung, Yuming Guo and Shanshan Li ()
Additional contact information
Yiwen Zhang: Monash University
Rongbin Xu: Monash University
Wenzhong Huang: Monash University
Tingting Ye: Monash University
Pei Yu: Monash University
Wenhua Yu: Monash University
Yao Wu: Monash University
Yanming Liu: Monash University
Zhengyu Yang: Monash University
Bo Wen: Monash University
Ke Ju: Monash University
Jiangning Song: Monash University
Michael J. Abramson: Monash University
Amanda Johnson: Monash University
Anthony Capon: Monash University
Bin Jalaludin: the University of New South Wales
Donna Green: the University of New South Wales
Eric Lavigne: University of Ottawa
Fay H. Johnston: University of Tasmania
Geoffrey G. Morgan: The University of Sydney
Luke D. Knibbs: The University of Sydney
Ying Zhang: The University of Sydney
Guy Marks: University of New South Wales
Jane Heyworth: University of Western Australia
Julie Arblaster: Monash University
Yue Leon Guo: National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital
Lidia Morawska: Queensland University of Technology
Micheline S. Z. S. Coelho: University of São Paulo
Paulo H. N. Saldiva: University of São Paulo
Patricia Matus: Región Metropolitana
Peng Bi: The University of Adelaide
Simon Hales: University of Otago
Wenbiao Hu: Queensland University of Technology
Dung Phung: University of Queensland
Yuming Guo: Monash University
Shanshan Li: Monash University

Nature Sustainability, 2025, vol. 8, issue 5, 474-484

Abstract: Abstract Under a warming climate, wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe. Multicountry studies evaluating associations between wildfire fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and respiratory hospitalizations are lacking. Here we evaluate the short-term effects of wildfire-specific PM2.5 on respiratory hospitalizations from 1,052 communities across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, during 2000–2019. A 1 µg m−3 increase in wildfire-specific PM2.5 was associated with increased hospitalization risks for all-cause respiratory, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute upper respiratory infection, influenza and pneumonia by 0.36%, 0.48%, 0.38%, 0.42%, 0.79% and 0.36%, respectively. Higher risks were observed among populations ≤19 or ≥60 years old, from low-income or high non-wildfire PM2.5 communities, and residing in Brazil, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. Australia and New Zealand exhibited a greater hospitalization risk for asthma associated with wildfire-specific PM2.5. Compared with non-wildfire PM2.5, wildfire-specific PM2.5 posed greater hospitalization risks for all respiratory diseases and a greater burden of asthma. Wildfire-specific PM2.5 contributed to 42.4% of PM2.5-linked respiratory hospitalizations, dominating in Thailand. Overall, the substantial contribution of wildfire-specific PM2.5 to respiratory hospitalizations demands continued mitigation and adaptation efforts across most countries. Intervention should be prioritized for influenza, children, adolescents, the elderly and populations in low-income or high-polluted communities.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01533-9

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