NSW researchers study how P2 surgical masks could protect people with chronic medical conditions from bushfire smoke
4 years ago

NSW researchers study how P2 surgical masks could protect people with chronic medical conditions from bushfire smoke

ABC  

For the past year, Abrar Chughtai has been researching how masks prevent the spread of coronavirus. Key points: The research hopes to help people with conditions like asthma and emphysema The study will have at least 300 participants, with more expected next summer One expert is calling for a campaign to raise awareness of bushfire smoke danger "We have a very strong team in UNSW and we have done many clinical trials on infection control, but we want to use our expertise on bushfire smoke," Dr Chugtai said. 'We're breathing dirty air' Sydney man Ben Mansill said air quality was so bad during last summer's bushfires, it became "essential" to use an air purifier in his home. "You wouldn't drink a glass of dirty water, however, often we go through our lives without realising we're breathing dirty air," Mr Darvill said. He said Australia needed more education around air pollution and said groups like Asthma Australia were pushing people to monitor air quality.

Australia Air Smoke Nsw Surgical Masks Levels Unsw Bushfire Bushfire Smoke Vardoulakis  p2  air  nsw  smoke  study  bushfire  vardoulakis  summers  researchers  conditions  surgical  masks  quality  australia  levels  medical  protect  asthma

History of this topic

COVID masks are back as Canadian wildfires fill skies with smoke
1 year, 7 months ago

COVID masks are back as Canadian wildfires fill skies with smoke

The Hindu  

Just when it seemed safe to unmask, some Canadians are donning the face coverings made ubiquitous during the coronavirus pandemic as a protection against hazardous smoky conditions as wildfires ravage much of the country. On Wednesday mask supplier United Canada sent out an email with "Wildfire Season Safety Tips" that included an N95 mask. Canada Strong sent out an email …

The Age of Flames Reaches the US East Coast
55 years ago

The Age of Flames Reaches the US East Coast

Wired  

Smoke from wildfires in Canada has engulfed the East Coast, cloaking cities in a hazy smog and putting some 100 million people under air quality alerts. “There's no reason to think that those trends will suddenly stop.” “It’s a global problem now,” says Mary Prunicki, director of air pollution and health research at Stanford University’s Sean N. Parker Center for …

Canberrans are breathing easier this summer but are we prepared for another season of choking bushfire smoke?
4 years ago

Canberrans are breathing easier this summer but are we prepared for another season of choking bushfire smoke?

ABC  

A year on from Canberra recording the world's worst air pollution for several days in a row, the ACT's Health Minister says the city is better placed to deal with a bushfire smoke disaster, but admits "we haven't significantly improved". Key points: With COVID-19 derailing planned improvements, Canberra remains unready for another smoky bushfire season The Canberra Hospital, which filled …

I'm struggling to breathe with all the bushfire smoke. Could I have undiagnosed asthma?
4 years, 11 months ago

I'm struggling to breathe with all the bushfire smoke. Could I have undiagnosed asthma?

ABC  

As bushfire smoke continues to pollute the air of large parts of Australia's eastern states, some people have experienced throat irritation, coughing and breathing difficulties. Health authorities have also warned more severe symptoms such as chest tightness and wheezing may emerge in people who have underlying asthma and in people who haven't yet been diagnosed. Normal response to bushfire smoke …

Melbourne's air quality 'worst in the world', authorities issue health warnings
4 years, 11 months ago

Melbourne's air quality 'worst in the world', authorities issue health warnings

India TV News  

The air quality in Melbourne deteriorated to the "worst in the world" on Tuesday as smoke from the massive bushfires engulfed Australia's second biggest city with authorities issuing health warnings advising people to stay indoors and take precautionary measures. Melbourne's air quality went down overnight to "hazardous" due to bushfire smoke as the smoke from Victoria state engulfed it. The …

Health warning in Melbourne, air quality down to 'hazardous' due to Australia's bushfires
4 years, 11 months ago

Health warning in Melbourne, air quality down to 'hazardous' due to Australia's bushfires

Firstpost  

Health warnings were issued after a thick haze from the bushfires in Victoria descended on Melbourne. Health warnings were issued after a thick haze from the bushfires in Victoria descended on Melbourne Tuesday morning, reducing the air quality in the Australian city to the “worst in the world”. Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said, “I think overnight for Melbourne …

Pollution experts team up to propose major new study into health impacts of bushfire smoke
4 years, 11 months ago

Pollution experts team up to propose major new study into health impacts of bushfire smoke

ABC  

Australia's top pollution experts are teaming up to propose a major new study into the long-term health impacts of bushfire smoke. Key points: A team of Australian academics is seeking funding to study the health impacts of bushfire smoke A previous study looked at the effects of 45 days of smoke inhalation That study found pregnant women were more likely …

Poor air quality caused by bushfire smoke posing serious risk for healthy people too, health experts warn
5 years ago

Poor air quality caused by bushfire smoke posing serious risk for healthy people too, health experts warn

ABC  

Doctors are warning even healthy people could develop serious illnesses, because of the smoke haze that's blanketed parts of the country, including some of our major cities, for weeks on end. In a statement released late last week, AMA president Tony Bartone described the length and density of smoke exposure as "a new, and possibly fatal, health risk" most of …

Australia's bushfire smoke spreads to NZ as Canberra's air quality goes off the scale
5 years ago

Australia's bushfire smoke spreads to NZ as Canberra's air quality goes off the scale

ABC  

As south-eastern Australia continues to burn amid the bushfire crisis, smoke has crossed the Tasman to shroud New Zealand, and Canberra has recorded unprecedented smoke pollution. Key points: Canberra's air quality index is 23 times the hazardous rating, rivalling some of the worst in the world Heavy smoke from the NSW and Vic bushfires is also blanketing New Zealand The …

How to maintain your fitness and keep active as our air quality plummets
5 years ago

How to maintain your fitness and keep active as our air quality plummets

ABC  

Weighing up the benefits of exercise is usually pretty straight-forward: doing something — anything — is better than nothing. do some exercise outdoors, then we recommend at air quality data," Professor Vardoulakis says. "There's a balance there to be achieved: we want people to exercise, but obviously we don't want them to be exposed to very high levels of air …

These illustrations show Sydney's smoke like you've never seen it before
5 years ago

These illustrations show Sydney's smoke like you've never seen it before

ABC  

You can see the smoke, but not the dangers — these graphics illustrate what Sydneysiders have been inhaling for weeks. Sydney's 'new abnormal' But in Sydney's "new abnormal", the levels of PM2.5 pollution have soared past not only Beijing, but also New Delhi. Ash blanketed the sand of beachside towns as winds blew the smoke south to Sydney, where air …

Sydney smoke at its 'worst ever' with air pollution in some areas 12 times 'hazardous' threshold
5 years, 1 month ago

Sydney smoke at its 'worst ever' with air pollution in some areas 12 times 'hazardous' threshold

ABC  

NSW Health has warned that wearing masks "might not be providing the benefits that people think they are" as Sydney's air quality index skyrocketed due to bushfires on the city's outskirts. Dr Richard Broome, from NSW Health, said Sydney was experiencing "some of the worst air quality we've seen". Any region with an AQI over 200 is considered "hazardous" — …

Sydney smoke is infiltrating homes and it may be just as hazardous to stay indoors
5 years, 1 month ago

Sydney smoke is infiltrating homes and it may be just as hazardous to stay indoors

ABC  

Face masks, "hazardous" air quality warnings and poor visibility — it's a new norm in the Harbour City this summer that has the NSW Government warning people to stay indoors. Key points: Most Australian homes do not adequately protect from the impacts of outside smoke Only filtration can improve air quality inside One expert wants sealed air quality refuges built …

Should I wear a face mask to protect myself from bushfire smoke?
5 years, 1 month ago

Should I wear a face mask to protect myself from bushfire smoke?

ABC  

Waking up to a haze of smoke is becoming an eerily familiar sight to people across the country. Don't bother with cloth or paper masks A cloth or surgeon's mask fits loosely around the face and doesn't effectively filter out air pollution. While cloth and paper masks can stop aerosols and water droplets — which may in some cases be …

Sydney smoke three times worse this NSW bushfire season, but health effects from 'medium-term' exposure unclear
5 years, 1 month ago

Sydney smoke three times worse this NSW bushfire season, but health effects from 'medium-term' exposure unclear

ABC  

Waking up to a city full of smoke. NSW Department of Environment data shows Sydney's air quality this bushfire season is already three times worse than at any moment in the past five years. Key points: The air quality in parts of Sydney plummeted in November In some areas, it went from the equivalent of smoking half a cigarette each …

New South Wales gasps for air as Australia's bushfire smoke reaches record levels; Sydney on list of top 10 cities with worst air pollution in the world
5 years, 1 month ago

New South Wales gasps for air as Australia's bushfire smoke reaches record levels; Sydney on list of top 10 cities with worst air pollution in the world

Firstpost  

The Australian state of New South Wales is gasping under the worst levels of air pollution recorded as smoke from widespread bushfires causes a spike in hospital visits and hazards including poor visibility for drivers Melbourne: The Australian state of New South Wales is gasping under the worst levels of air pollution recorded as smoke from widespread bushfires causes a …

Sydney air pollution due to bushfires among worst in the world
5 years, 1 month ago

Sydney air pollution due to bushfires among worst in the world

India TV News  

The air pollution levels in the most populous Australian city of Sydney on Tuesday was among the 20 worst in the world due to smoke caused by bushfires. Government data of the state showed the air quality was "poor", although in some districts of the northwest the indexes of PM2.5 particles reached 130 and PM10 reached 195, reports Efe news. …

Sydney's bushfire smoke haze leaves 60 people needing treatment from paramedics
5 years, 1 month ago

Sydney's bushfire smoke haze leaves 60 people needing treatment from paramedics

ABC  

The thick layer of bushfire smoke blanketing Sydney on Tuesday morning has largely moved on, but dozens of Sydneysiders required medical assistance from the haze. Key points: Sydneysiders woke to a thick blanket of smoke on Tuesday morning It was from a bushfire at Gospers Mountain, north-west of Sydney The Rural Fire Service is monitoring dozens of blazes around the …

Sydney shrouded in hazardous smog from raging bushfires
5 years, 1 month ago

Sydney shrouded in hazardous smog from raging bushfires

Al Jazeera  

High winds blow smoke, sending pollution to ‘hazardous’ levels as temperatures rise again in Sydney, Australia. Sydney was shrouded in a dangerous haze on Tuesday as high winds blew smoke from bushfires blazing along Australia’s eastern coast into the country’s biggest city sending pollution levels soaring. Official data showed air pollution had reached “hazardous” levels across Sydney, with the highest …

How to manage bushfire smoke haze health risks
5 years, 1 month ago

How to manage bushfire smoke haze health risks

ABC  

You can be quite a long way from a bushfire and still have it affect your health. Bushfire smoke can travel hundreds of kilometres and it poses a range of health issues — especially for those with pre-existing heart or lung conditions. Those most likely to be affected by bushfire smoke include: People with existing heart or lung conditions, such …

Queensland bushfires trigger asthma as air quality gets worse than Mumbai's in parts of south-east
5 years, 1 month ago

Queensland bushfires trigger asthma as air quality gets worse than Mumbai's in parts of south-east

ABC  

South-east Queensland has again been shrouded by smoke from the bushfires, raising air pollution levels. Key points: A southerly change late yesterday and overnight brought a lot of smoke to areas in south-east Queensland The Pharmacy Guild Queensland is urging residents with asthma conditions and respiratory issues to keep their medication close by The air at Southport on the Gold …

Discover Related