Bushfire smoke can harm your health, especially if you live with a lung disease (like asthma), live with another long-term illness (like heart disease and diabetes), are over 65 or a child under 5, or are pregnant. The best ways to avoid smoke are to: Close doors and windows to help protect you during short episodes of outdoor smoke, wear a P2/N95 mask outdoors and indoors if needed, use an air cleaner with a HEPA filter indoors, check local air quality using a trusted app (e.g. AirRater), and think about visiting a place with cleaner air like a library or a shopping centre.
There is now well-established evidence of the harm of transport emissions on health. In our response to the questions posed in the Roadmap, we outline the benefits and importance of including health co-costs and co-benefits in the transition to zero carbon
Air pollution is the single greatest environmental cause of preventable disease and premature death in the world today. It ranks alongside unhealthy diets, inadequate physical activity, and tobacco smoking, as a major global risk factor for mortality. Globally, air pollution is responsible for approximately 7 million premature deaths each year. In Australia annual mortality is conservatively estimated to be more than 3,200 with a cost greater than AUD $6.2 billion from years of life lost. However, the full health and social impacts are much more extensive. This report explains why the effects of air pollution are so far reaching and, equally, why coordinated action to make air safer is one of the best investments in Australian health.
As the climate gets hotter and extreme weather events become more common, the health impacts associated with air pollution are expected to increase. More frequent and intense bushfires will result in increased particulate matter (PM) air pollution, emergency department attendances and health costs. Hotter temperatures are predicted to increase the concentration of aeroallergens (i.e., pollens), particulate matter air pollution, and other air pollutants such as fungi, mould, and windblown dust, with associated increased health burden. High temperatures and bushfires often coincide, producing a synergistic negative effect on health outcomes. Climate change is also expected to increase ground-level ozone, which is associated with a range of health issues including reduced lung function and increased hospital presentations and admission for asthma.
The home environment is crucial for health and wellbeing. People inhale 11,000 litres of air per day on average, mostly inside homes. Even small amounts of air pollution in the home environment can have a significant impact on health. Moreover, the people who are most vulnerable to air pollution (children, older adults and people with disabilities) spend a greater proportion of time indoors where they are exposed to a number of hazards relating to heating and cooking appliances, sealing and ventilation. As such, enhancing minimum rental standards presents a major opportunity to improve air quality in rental properties and consequently the health of renters.
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