---
title: "Amazon wildfires linked to ground-level ozone pollution"
url: https://newscentral.site/amazon-wildfires-linked-to-ground-level-ozone-pollution/
language: en
publisher: "News Central Site"
section: "Science"
published: 2026-10-07T09:00:01.000Z
updated: 2026-10-07T11:23:57.593Z
id: 38929b2e-9856-49cb-89ea-b05bfba7bf08
source: "Phys.org https://phys.org/news/2026-10-amazon-wildfires-generating-ozone-weakens.html"
attribution: "Link to https://newscentral.site/amazon-wildfires-linked-to-ground-level-ozone-pollution/ and name News Central Site when you quote or summarize this story."
---

# Amazon wildfires linked to ground-level ozone pollution

A recent study has found that Amazon wildfires generate ground-level ozone that hampers the rainforest's ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

A recent study has uncovered a concerning consequence of the devastating Amazon wildfires: the generation of ground-level ozone that severely hampers the rainforest's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The formation of ozone is a direct result of pollutants reacting with sunlight in the presence of wildfires, causing harm not only to human health but also to plant life. This ozone pollution interferes with plants' ability to take in carbon dioxide, a crucial process for regulating the Earth's climate.

Researchers from the University of Exeter, ETH Zurich and James Cook University have warned that this year's El Niño could lead to similar record-breaking damage seen in 2024.

The study estimates that ozone damage caused by wildfires diminishes Amazonian carbon uptake by an amount equivalent to around 24% of the carbon released through biomass burning itself.

The relationship between El Niño events and Amazon droughts is particularly noteworthy. Three of the most severe droughts in the region over the past three decades have occurred during these events, specifically in 1997/98, 2015/16 and 2023/24.

El Niño represents a natural climate cycle characterized by warmer global temperatures, but its occurrence against a backdrop of rising baseline temperatures due to climate change has significant implications. This combination can lead to record-breaking high temperatures and intensified extreme weather events.

Forecasts indicate that a strong El Niño is currently developing, with the potential to become one of the most intense on record. The researchers warn that this could result in another major spike in hidden carbon loss from the Amazon region.

The study emphasizes that forest fires release not only CO2 but also contribute to ground-level ozone levels, which damage the leaves of surviving trees and reduce their ability to absorb carbon afterward.

The researchers analyzed nearly three decades of data to understand how ozone damage has evolved alongside fire activity and drought in the Amazon region from 1997 to 2024.

Each drought event studied left a distinct signature, according to one researcher, with ozone damage during the 2023/24 drought almost doubling compared to the average of the previous decade. This significant increase is concerning, especially given indications that another strong El Niño event may be developing this year, potentially leading to similar outcomes as in the past.

The majority of Amazon wildfires are caused by human activities, primarily land clearing and agricultural burning that spreads into standing forest. As a result, the worst ozone damage is concentrated in areas where deforestation is most prevalent, such as the "Arc of Deforestation" where agricultural land expansion is threatening the rainforest.

Reducing deforestation and forest degradation could not only decrease direct fire emissions but also protect the Amazon from this secondary source of carbon loss, according to experts. The findings suggest that addressing air pollution, land clearing, and climate change as interconnected problems is crucial for determining the future of the Amazon ecosystem.

The interconnected problems of air pollution, land clearing, and climate change must be addressed as a whole to determine the future of the Amazon ecosystem.

Policies that tackle deforestation and degradation can have multiple benefits, including reducing CO2 emissions from fires and ozone pollution that erodes the forest's ability to absorb carbon.

---
Source: [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-10-amazon-wildfires-generating-ozone-weakens.html)  
Published by News Central Site: https://newscentral.site/amazon-wildfires-linked-to-ground-level-ozone-pollution/