Smoke from fires in British Columbia contributed to pollution levels in New York City during the summer of 2018, new research has found.
Scientists used data from observation sites, satellite smoke maps and 3-D models of air parcels to track the origin of pollutants in the Big Apple.
The study – which was conducted at associate professor Drew Gentner’s lab in the Yale Coastal Field Station in Guildford, Connecticut – was based on pollution levels from August 2018.
Spikes in air pollutants the researchers observed coincided with New York-area air quality advisories.
The pollutants were of the sort most commonly associated with smoke from wildfires and controlled burns, which it tracked to BC and Western Canada.
The Canadian contributed was "significant," the research explained.
"When people are making predictions about climate change, they're predicting increases in wildfires, so this sort of pollution is likely going to become more common," said lead author Haley Rogers, who was an undergraduate student when the study was conducted.
"So when people are planning for air pollution and health impacts, you can't just address local sources."
