Wildfires worsened by climate change spewed smoke over much of North America this year. It's a new reality Americans haven't yet processed: how dangerous the smoke is for human health.
Much of the Northeast U.S. is blanketed in a murky haze of wildfire smoke. For most people breathing this air is unpleasant, for others it can be life-threatening. There are ways to reduce the risk.
Could smoke carry disease-causing microorganisms? "It's a very new idea to think of smoke as having a living component," says Leda Kobziar, co-author of an article that explores this theory.
