The University of California-Berkeley recently received $549,940 in research funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prevent wildland fire smoke exposure in at-risk San Francisco Bay Area communities through an improved communication system.
The funding will enable researchers to work with underserved and marginalized groups in the San Francisco Bay Area “to identify the most effective data and dissemination strategies for communicating wildfire smoke exposure risks,” an EPA press release said.
“Smoke from wildfires is a serious health risk to millions of Americans,” EPA Pacific Southwest Laboratory Services and Applied Sciences Division Director Duane James said in the release. “The results of this research will help us more effectively communicate these threats to some of the most at-risk communities and empower them to better protect their own health during wildfire smoke events.”
With the collected data, the project aims to develop a “community-aligned action plan” for preventing wildfire smoke exposure, the release said.
Wildfire smoke contains a toxic mixture of gases and microscopic particles that can cause burning eyes, runny nose, and even more severe illnesses such as bronchitis, the release said. Smoke inhalation can also trigger chronic heart and lung diseases and other serious health issues.
The funding is part of $8 million in grants the EPA awarded as part of the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, which provides support to projects addressing areas of concern including air quality, climate change, water quality and toxic substances.
