Smoky haze from wildfires in Canada blankets a New York City neighborhood on June 7, 2023.

For decades, the United States made steady progress in reducing surface ozone pollution, the main ingredient in smog. But that progress – made as vehicles, industries and power sources became cleaner – is increasingly being overshadowed by a different and growing source of ozone pollution: wildfires.

Our team of atmospheric and wildfire scientists analyzed wildfires’ contribution to surface ozone levels from 2003 to 2024 across the United States.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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