Year: 2026 | Month: August | Volume: 13 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 528-549
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260856
A Proposed Plastiglomerate Aerosol Framework for Assessing Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Risk Following Wildland-Urban Interface Fires
Parishi Dua1, Tanvi Sheth2
1Independent Researcher, Jumeirah College, Dubai, UAE
2Biotechnology Researcher, Manipal University, Dubai, UAE
Corresponding Author: Parishi Dua
ABSTRACT
Wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires are increasing in frequency, intensity, and geographic extent as human development expands into fire-prone landscapes. Unlike conventional wildfires that predominantly combust vegetation, WUI fires incinerate both biomass and synthetic materials, resulting in the emission of chemically complex byproducts, including micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles. Contemporary health frameworks addressing wildfire impacts rely heavily on particulate matter mass (PM2.5) as the key metric of exposure, predicated on the assumption that particle mass sufficiently represents toxicological burden. Nonetheless, WUI fires produce chemically diverse aerosols. The biological effects of these particles may be influenced by composition, surface chemistry, and associated toxicants, rather than mass alone.
By integrating data from aerosol science, nanotoxicology, neurobiology, and environmental health, this review paper evaluates the potential neurodevelopmental implications of WUI-derived MNP exposure. This review proposes a conceptual framework termed “plastiglomerate aerosols” to describe hybrid plastic-toxicant exposure systems generated during WUI fires. This review posits that these hybrid particles should be evaluated as integrated exposure systems rather than as independent pollutants. Existing evidence from nanotoxicology and combustion aerosol research is examined to elucidate biologically plausible mechanisms through which these particles may affect the pediatric nervous system, encompassing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, epigenetic remodeling, and altered microRNA regulation. Potential routes of central nervous system exposure through the olfactory pathway are discussed alongside developmental factors that may increase pediatric susceptibility.
Several critical knowledge gaps are identified, including the absence of longitudinal pediatric cohorts, limited human evidence for nervous system translocation, challenges in nanoplastics exposure quantification, and difficulties translating experimental findings to real-world developmental outcomes. Existing approaches can quantify environmental exposure or detect downstream clinical abnormalities but provide limited insight into early neurophysiological dysfunction. The proposed multi-modal chemosensory and autonomic integration (MCAI) framework addresses this gap. Heart rate variability and chemosensory event-related potentials are combined in MCAI as complementing indicators of autonomic control and the integrity of sensory pathways.
Collectively, this review argues that WUI-derived plastiglomerate aerosols may represent an emerging exposure class that is not adequately captured by conventional wildfire health frameworks. This review identifies biologically plausible pathways of pediatric neurodevelopmental vulnerability and proposes MCAI as a framework for investigating neurophysiological dysfunction following exposure.
Keywords: Wildland-Urban Interface Fires; Plastiglomerate Aerosols; Micro- and Nano-Plastics; Pediatric Neurodevelopment; Environmental Neurotoxicity; Neuroinflammation; Heart Rate Variability; Chemosensory Event-Related Potentials
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