In general, the toxic effects of chemicals found in wildfire smoke can be divided into the following categories.
| Impact | Examples |
|---|---|
| Acute toxicity | carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, nitrogen oxides |
| Long-term toxicity | particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin |
| Irritating gases | aldehyde compounds, ammonia |
| Acidification | nitrate, sulfate |
| Global warming | carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide |
