Fire Smoke Damages Immune System
There has never been a debate about the extent to which smoke harms people with preexisting conditions. New research indicates that it can harm healthy people as well.Â
According to a Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health’s research paper, “Exposure to fire smoke—which can be composed of particulate matter, gases, materials from buildings such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), toxic metals, and carcinogenic compounds—may alter the immune system on a cellular level.”
The study looked at 31 “smoke-exposed” people and 29 “non-smoke-exposed” people over a period that lasted. “Using cutting-edge single-cell-omic techniques—epigenetic assays and mass cytometry—and bioinformatic analytical tools” looked at blood on a cellular level.
Gene Alterations
Those exposed to smoke showed changes in 133 genes. Some were related to asthma. Some of these were bound to toxic chemicals, which included mercury,
“Our findings demonstrate that the immune system is extremely sensitive to environmental exposures like fire smoke, even in healthy individuals,” said lead author Mary Johnson, principal research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health. The researchers assume that this will help public officials moderate smoke exposure for those who fight or otherwise deal with fire.
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