Dossier
Weizhi Deng
Coverage of Weizhi Deng in the Nexus archive.
- Wildfires are making the US smoggy again, reversing progress on cleaner air, study finds
Wildfires since 2015 have reversed a decade-long decline in U.S. smog levels, increasing ground-level ozone by 4% and contributing to an estimated 318 annual deaths. A University of Iowa study used AI to analyze limited EPA smog monitor data, revealing the trend reversal despite prior human-caused emissions reductions.
- Wildfires are making the US smoggy again, reversing progress on cleaner air, study finds
A study finds that wildfires have reversed U.S. progress on reducing smog since 2015, with national ground-level ozone increasing by 4% as fires grow larger. Researchers attribute this trend partly to climate change and limited air pollution monitoring, projecting smog levels could return to 2003 levels in 20 years if wildfire smoke continues to rise.