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. 2024 Aug 20;58(33):14753-14763.
doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02016. Epub 2024 Jul 10.

Physicochemical Characterization of the Particulate Matter in New Jersey/New York City Area, Resulting from the Canadian Quebec Wildfires in June 2023

José Guillermo Cedeño Laurent  1   2 , Hooman Parhizkar  1   2 , Leonardo Calderon  2   3 , Denisa Lizonova  1   2 , Irini Tsiodra  4 , Nikolaos Mihalopoulos  4   5 , Ilias Kavouras  6 , Mahbub Alam  7 , Mohammed Baalousha  7 , Lila Bazina  1   2 , Georgios A Kelesidis  1   2 , Philip Demokritou  1   2
Affiliations

Physicochemical Characterization of the Particulate Matter in New Jersey/New York City Area, Resulting from the Canadian Quebec Wildfires in June 2023

José Guillermo Cedeño Laurent et al. Environ Sci Technol. .

Abstract

The global increase in wildfires, primarily driven by climate change, significantly affects air quality and health. Wildfire-emitted particulate matter (WFPM) is linked to adverse health effects, yet the toxicological mechanisms are not fully understood given its physicochemical complexity and the lack of spatiotemporal exposure data. This study focuses on the physicochemical characterization of WFPM from a Canadian wildfire in June 2023, which affected over 100 million people in the US Northeast, particularly around New Jersey/New York. Aerosol systems were deployed to characterize WFPM during the 3 day event, revealing unprecedented mass concentrations mainly in the WFPM0.1 and WFPM0.1-2.5 size fractions. Peak WFPM2.5 concentrations reached 317 μg/m3, nearly 10 times the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) 24 h average limit. Chemical analysis showed a high organic-to-total carbon ratio (96%), consistent with brown carbon wildfires nanoparticles. Large concentrations of high-molecular-weight PAHs were found predominantly bound to WFPM0.1, with retene, a molecular marker of biomass burning and a known teratogen, being the most abundant (>70%). Computational modeling estimated a total lung deposition of 9.15 mg over 72 h, highlighting the health risks of WFPM, particularly due to its long-distance travel capability and impact on densely populated areas.

Keywords: Canadian wildfire; brown carbon; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; ultrafine particles; wildfire air pollution; wildfires.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
HYSPLIT backward trajectories calculated at 500 and 1000 m above ground level for air mass arriving at the Rutgers Piscataway Campus (Lat: 40.5240, Long: −74.4684; depicted on the figure with a star) on June 7th, 2023 1800 EDT. Red dots represent active forest fire sites on June 7th according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information system (https://cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/home; consulted 12/01/2023).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
One hour average ambient concentrations for (a) PM2.5; and (b) CO, O3, and NOx. PM2.5 and O3 data were obtained from the US EPA Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station near Rutgers University and CO and NOx from the EPA Newark site. Shaded gray areas indicate the sampling phases with real-time and integrated measurements at Rutgers Piscataway Campus.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Time-integrated ambient particle mass concentration as a function of PM aerodynamic size fraction from four sampling phases: start phase (Phase A): June 6 19:50–June 7 14:00; peak phase (Phase B): June 7 15:00–June 7 19:06; postpeak phase (Phase C): June 7 20:12–June 8 12:02; end phase (Phase D): June 8 15:22–June 9 13:28. Error bars show 95% confidence interval.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Percent mass concentration of size-fractionated PM-bound PAHs collected in the peak phase (Phase B). Detected methylated phenanthrenes are shown aggregated in Σ-C1-Phe and Σ-DMP.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Size-fractionated mass of deposited wildfire PM in the head, tracheobronchial (TB), pulmonary (P), and total region of the human respiratory tract derived by MPPD for a 72 h exposure to concentrations measured during the peak phase (Phase B).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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