With climate change worsening and contributing to the increase in wildfires globally, the concern for understanding the potential health consequences of wildfire smoke is of great interest. Current guidance on mitigating the adverse effects from these exposures has focused on PM2.5 levels as determined by historic urban air pollution studies. While the contributions of wildfire smoke exposures to adverse health outcomes is appreciated from studies assessing increase hospital, ED, clinic visits, as well as increases in seasonal respiratory infections, the longitudinal effects and the mechanisms are not understood. The mitigating factors hampering the field include variations in smoke composition (fuels, flaming/smoldering, age) and the nature of the exposures themselves as high-intensity and episodic. In addition, translating studies into the laboratory setting is complicated by the lack of a normalized particle (i.e. SRM 1640) or system (exposure by concentration or deposition; instillation vs inhalation). This special issue seeks contributions that will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the various laboratory models (including in vitro vs in vivo), as well as the concept of defining smoke compositions and exposures. Our hope is that the publications in this special issue will generate informative discussions on the burgeoning field of wildfire smoke research.
