A new study shows that smoke from wildfires pose more danger for agricultural workers. Data from the 2020 North Bay wildfire season shows that farmworkers were exposed to harmful smoke that burned their eyes, throats and lungs. Workers were allowed to work for 17 days under the county “Ag Pass” program even though air quality in those areas was deemed unhealthy even for hardy individuals. The study was published in the American Geophysical Union journal GeoHealth. Researchers are calling for more worker protections, health monitoring and better air quality monitoring.
Study: Wildfire Smoke Pose Danger to Farm Workers
