Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press
According to Stanford University researchers, smoke from wildfires can permanently damage children's DNA, while smoke from fires is much more damaging compared to controlled fires.
The author of the study and Director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Kari NadeauThe team found enough evidence to raise awareness of controlled fires and prevent them from getting out of control, he said.
"Controlled fires are less intense. They are also more predictable, so people have time to get away. We have found changes in the DNA of people exposed to forest fires, but not in those exposed to controlled fires," he said.
After analyzing the two types of smoke and their effects on people, they found that exposure to smoke from forest fires was related to significant decreases in T-cells, critical for the immune system.
The research team also found evidence of genetic alterations in children, as smoke from forest fires was associated with increased methylation of FOXP3 -protein involved in immune system responses-, distorting it in its response to cancer.
In response, it was hypothesized that higher levels of toxic pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in forest fire smoke are responsible for DNA damage and children are particularly at risk, as their immune system is still developing.
The research adds to the debates on actions and funding to help fight global warming, mainly in those states affected by forest fires, such as California, Oregon and Washington.
For President Donald Trump, states must focus on strategies to adapt to climate change rather than on hard-line actions to help mitigate it, he said when asked if he believes human activities are adding to the problem during the first presidential debate on the way to the November 3 elections.
While a Stanford study indicates that 60 percent of the respondents in California believe that the technique of controlled fires should be carried out, which are less harmful and allow forest fires to be avoided.
