Dossier
Ontario, Canada
Coverage of Ontario, Canada in the Nexus archive.
- Wildfire smoke is now the primary pollutant affecting pregnancy, study shows
A study from 2003 to 2019 found that wildfire smoke has become the primary pollutant affecting pregnancies, linked to outcomes like low birth weight and preterm births. While pollution from cars and industry has decreased, wildfire smoke pollution has increased, offsetting prior gains in air quality. The study excluded recent years with severe wildfire seasons, such as 2020 and 2024.