Hospital admissions for heat stroke are declining in the U.S., Wang et al.

  Heat waves are becoming more common, but according to this new study, the number of hospital admissions for heat stroke has declined significantly in the United States in recent years. In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers examined data from more than 23 million Medicare beneficiaries in 1,916 U.S. counties between 1999-2010. They calculated the relative risk of heat stroke among older adults during heat wave days (defined…

Particulate air pollution from wildfires in the Western US under climate change, Liu et al.

  In the western US, wildfires contribute to over 70% of ambient fine particles (PM2.5) on days when PM2.5 levels exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. With future climate change, extended episodes of high-PM2.5 levels from wildfire smoke are estimated to be 57% more frequent and 31% more intense by mid-century. More than 82 million individuals are estimated to be affected by smoke waves 30 years from now, especially…