Increasing co-occurrence of fine particulate matter and ground-level ozone extremes in the western United States.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34985958.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abi9386 and PMC identifier 8730618.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Wildfires and meteorological conditions influence the co-occurrence of multiple harmful air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) and ground-level ozone. We examine the spatiotemporal characteristics of PM<sub>2.5</sub>/ozone co-occurrences and associated population exposure in the western United States (US). The frequency, spatial extent, and temporal persistence of extreme PM<sub>2.5</sub>/ozone co-occurrences have increased significantly between 2001 and 2020, increasing annual population exposure to multiple harmful air pollutants by ~25 million person-days/year. Using a clustering methodology to characterize daily weather patterns, we identify significant increases in atmospheric ridging patterns conducive to widespread PM<sub>2.5</sub>/ozone co-occurrences and population exposure. We further link the spatial extent of co-occurrence to the extent of extreme heat and wildfires. Our results suggest an increasing potential for co-occurring air pollution episodes in the western US with continued climate change.