Perhaps a timely reminder during our current national fire crisis, but given that we have been enduring some particularly bad air conditions of late, we have perhaps become more acutely aware of how fortunate we are to live in a country where the norm is a positive living and natural environment. Whilst we have been bemoaning the gloomy days and overcast conditions, it all seems relatively minor when compared to the reasons for this low air quality, but it has certainly brought the awareness of air quality resoundingly to the forefront of the communal conscience.
The fact is that we are experiencing poor air at the moment, particularly in our larger cities and this has the capacity to create something of a health crisis. It’s no small element that the fires are creating a poor air quality. The Air Quality Index (AQI) has been charting our air pollution and during the recent spate of bushfires, air quality has been more than 5 times the hazardous levels in Sydney and up to 10 times that level in Canberra recently. The Australian Medical Association has also issued warnings that we are possibly facing a health crisis in relation to the poor air quality and that this doesn’t just affect those with compromised respiratory systems.
Bushfire smoke contains particles and gases that cause irritation to the nose eyes and throat. These particles can penetrate deeper into your lungs and this is usually where they cause irritation and larger concerns for those who already have compromised lung function or capacity. There is more cause for concern with the current situation as we are getting exposed to smoke particles for longer than is normal.
"The historical pattern of bushfires is two or three potentially horrific days and tragic consequences to people and property — but then it's all gone. But now we've had six weeks ... this is unprecedented."
Professor Peters, Head Respiratory Medicine Concord Hospital
So what of our air quality and how best can we take control of our immediate environment to provide a ‘best possible’ scenario of clean and unpolluted air when the fires are raging to the west, south and north of us?
Air Purifiers are already being touted as the new investment item for wellness in 2020. There is the urban myth that air conditioning units may be serving as a good enough filter but these claims are unfounded. Domestic Air Conditioning units do not have enough capacity to filter our the micro-particles existing in smoke haze - hence this is leading to smoke conditions being present inside the home as well as outside. Now this isn’t saying that every home is going to be a smoggy mess - but we have all been noticing the infiltration of smoke in our workplaces - you can see it and worse still ‘taste’ it. Commercial air conditioners (such as those in cinemas/malls/office buildings) do offer more protection but are still not as detailed as air purifiers themselves. Local State government websites and also international websites (such as airnow.gov in California) all tend to promote the benefits of air purifiers as a way of reducing exposure to these micro-particles and irritants.
Masks are also being touted as more of a necessity. The official advice is that P2 or N45 masks are the only really viable solution if you are suffering from exposure to air pollution. Normal surgical masks, cloth masks and even the trusty old bandanna, isn’t enough to combat against the micro-particles. Masks are particularly efficient if you are involved in working outdoors and being in the outside air for a majority of the day. The increase in these micro-particles may also be making you more sensitive to other pollutants and emissions from our normal daily city life as well.
Exercising outdoors is not going to be your friend in this situation. The air quality in Sydney has been listed in the last few weeks as the 2nd worst in the world during the heavy smoke days and being outside and involved in Cardiovascular exercise has been likened to smoking 40 cigarettes. On these days we should be really conscious of taking care to not overexert our cardiovascular system and ingest poor air deep into our lungs. This will have damaging consequences, not matter how healthy you think you are.
Which brings me to another onerous point. With the current fire crisis lasting over a series of weeks, we are facing unprecedented circumstances of known effects of fire smoke irritation. Bushfires have usually been more short-lived occurences with 2-3 days of burning before respite or a lessening of conditions. What we have seen, particularly in the Eastern states is prolonged exposure to the pollution. This is creating more concern amongst medical professionals who are warning that we are yet to see what the effects will be from this prolonged fire risk. Authorities are warning that is not just the usual vulnerable groups that we need to watch but in this instance, normally healthy individuals may be at risk of developing issues from the current poor air quality.
"With denser smoke haze and longer periods that people endure smoke inhalation, there is a much higher risk that previously healthy people will face developing serious illness,"
Dr Tony Bartone, President AMA
So it stands to reason that even the most resilient of us may not be getting by so easily and that if we are honest with ourselves, we all are at risk. This is not to create a sense of foreboding, but we should be aware that this prolonged exposure is of concern. Many people ignored the early warning signals of London’s smog crisis in 1952 that resulted in 4,000 deaths at the end of the 4 day spell and possibly even greater numbers into the thousands as a result of the longer lasting effects. Different era and situation perhaps but it’s not to be scoffed at.
In short we should be aware of our symptoms. If you are experiencing more than just a runny nose, itchy eyes and a slight irritation in the throat, it isn’t over-reactive to get diagnoses for possible respiratory conditions. Oddly enough there have been cases of people coughing up particles and suffering from congestion. So please be careful as we endure this fire season. It would appear that even those of us who are not in the direct line of the fire front are having to deal with the consequences of our natural disaster.
For more information please visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/air/Pages/faqs.aspx#h1-bookmark1
