Bushfire smoke impacting on residents’ health
Bushfire smoke impacting on residents’ health
14 August 2007
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — Health authorities say smoke from bushfires is causing air pollution levels to rise on the New South Wales north coast, which is a problem for residents with respiratory problems.
Greg Bell of the North Coast Public Health Unit says it is a particularly bad time for asthmatics.
“When you’ve … got smoke that just comes and it’s there for a while and it just goes, the main issue for the health and wellbeing for people are the particles and the finer the particles,” he said.
“The further they travel down … into the lungs and that’s where you get the more serious health effects, so people that have already got some pre-disposed issues, like emphysema or asthma or something like that … these particles can further inflame the interior of the lungs.”
