Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –A new study released by UNM finds that wildfire smoke is affecting people beyond just effects on lungs and sinuses, it may also be directly affecting people’s daily moods. Using mental health questionnaires, filled out by New Mexicans over the last few decades, the team used satellite imaging and detectors on the ground to map out where communities were breathing in wildfire smoke. By combining the data, they were able to see how people’s moods were changing as smoke moved into their region. What they found is that wildfire smoke exposure does lead to reduction of the protein Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has a direct influence on mood.
