Bushfires and air quality

• Assessing air quality
• Monitoring data
• Self-assessment
• What can I do to protect myself and my family?
• More information

Smoke from bushfires can lead to significant deterioration in air quality with elevated levels of fine particles and reduced visibility being the main concern.  With extended drought conditions, this year is predicted to be a bad year for fires. Widespread impacts from bushfire smoke maybe expected to occur throughout the summer, depending on fire and weather conditions. 

Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic matter is burnt. Fine particles, known as PM₁₀ (particular matter smaller than 10 um in diameter), can impact on people’s health.  These fine particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system where they can cause health effects such as burning eyes, sore throat and runny nose.  In healthy people these effects resolve quickly once the smoke is no longer present.

People that have existing respiratory or heart conditions (such as congestive heart failure, angina, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, or asthma) are more sensitive to the effects of smoke. Exposure to particles can aggravate these conditions and you may experience symptoms at lower smoke levels than healthy people. Existing symptoms may get worse when exposed to smoke.

Children and the elderly may also be more sensitive to the effects of smoke than healthy people.

Whether you are healthy or fall into a sensitive group it is a good idea, where practical, to avoid breathing smoke.

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Assessing air quality

EPA Victoria routinely monitors air quality in Melbourne, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley. Mobile laboratories are also located in some regional areas. EPA will also be  temporarily establishing additional air quality monitoring facilities in bushfire affected areas to assist in monitoring impacts from fires on local communities. Data from EPA’s monitoring sites is available on at www.epa.vic.gov.au/air/bulletins/.

Even though EPA maintains a significant air monitoring network, air quality monitoring data will not always be available for all locations that may be impacted by smoke from fires.

EPA Victoria will provide advice about air quality in regions affected by fires where possible based on monitoring data and visual assessment.

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Monitoring data

The main pollutant of concern being monitored in bushfire affected areas is PM₁₀. Together with the Department of Human Services (DHS), EPA Victoria has developed a system to categorise air quality measurements and provide advice on possible impacts on people’s health. Table 1 below provides advice on air quality categories.

Table 1: Bushfire alert categories based on PM₁₀ monitoring and visibility.

Bushfire Smoke Alert Level	Categories	24hr PM10 ug/m3	1hr PM10 ug/m3	Visibility
	Good	Less than 50	Less than 80	More than 20 km
Low	Unhealthy -Sensitive	51 - 65	81-175	Less than 20 km but more than 10 km
High	Unhealthy - All	66-155	176-300	Less than 10 km but more than 5 km
	Very Unhealthy	156-310	301-500	Less than 5 km but more than 1 km
	Hazardous	Greater than 310	Greater than 500	Less than 1 km

Where air pollution monitoring data is available (see www.epa.vic.gov.au/air/bulletins) the measurements should be used to determine the applicable air quality category and identify what actions you can take to reduce the risk of health effects arising from exposure to particles in the smoke. The actions advised for each category are listed in Table 2 below.

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Self-assessment

Increased particle levels are also associated with reduced visibility. This can also be used as a practical self-assessment indicator of air quality. Table 1 provides guidance on air quality categories,  visibility and the groups within the population that might be affected by smoke. Table 1 can be used to make your own assessment of air quality to guide actions when smoke is present in your area, as follows:

1. Prior to fire being present identify landmarks that are visible from your home that fit within the categories in the table.
   
2. Use the landmarks as a guide to estimate air quality in your area during the time when smoke is present. 
   
3. When you can no longer clearly see a landmark then air quality has deteriorated (Visibility in Table 1 is the distance to the nearest landmark that is just obscured by the smoke).
   
4. Use the Visibility determined in Step 3 to identify the applicable air quality category from Table 1. 

Refer to Table 2 to identify what actions you might take to protect your health.

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What can I do to protect myself and my family?

1. If there is an active fire in your area then fire safety is your first priority. Listen to advice from emergency services, CFA, or DSE about the fire activity in your area and what you need to do.
2. Listen to local news reports about any health warnings related to smoke from the fires.
3. If possible check EPA Victoria’s website for air quality bulletin providing information on particle levels in your area and recommendations on what actions you can take to reduce the impact of smoke on your health.
4. Use the visibility guide (Table 1) when air monitoring data is not available in your area.
5. Use common sense – if it is smoky outside it is probably not a good time to do vigorous work or exercise outdoors or for your children to play outside.
6. Where practical stay indoors keep windows and doors closed (if not too hot) to keep the indoor air as clean as possible.
7. Follow the cautionary advice set out in Table 2.
8. If you have heart or lung disease, you are elderly or have children, talk to your doctor about what steps you should take to protect yourself if smoke impacts your community. Talk to your doctor prior to the fire season if possible so you will know what to do in a smoky situation. Only your doctor can advise you about your specific health situation.
9. People with existing conditions ensure that take your medication as prescribed and if you suffer from asthma follow your asthma management plan.
10. If your symptoms worsen or you are concerned about symptoms you may be experiencing,seek medical  advice or contact the Nurse on call service provided by the Department of Human Services (1300 60 60 24).

Table 2: Cautionary advice and actions

Bushfire Smoke Alert Level	Air Quality Categories	Cautionary Advice
	Good	None.
Low	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	People with heart or lung conditions, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy physical activity.
High	Unhealthy all	People with heart or lung conditions, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy physical activity.
	Very Unhealthy	People with heart or lung conditions, older adults, and children should avoid all physical activity outdoors. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy physical activity.
	Hazardous	Everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors; people with heart or lung conditions, older adults, and children should remain indoors and keep activity levels low.

For further advice on actions you can take ro reduce exposure to smoke see the attached sheet (PDF file, 36KB).

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More information

The information has been jointly prepared by EPA Victoria and the Department of Human Services. 

Further information about the potential health impacts of bushfire smoke is available on the DHS website www.health.vic.gov.au/bushfire.

For information about Nurse-on-Call visit www.health.vic.gov.au/nurseoncall.

For more information about asthma and bushfire smoke see the Asthma Victoria website at www.asthma.org.au.

For information on fires in Victoria and general fire safety advice, please contact the Victorian Bushfire Information Line (VBIL) on freecall 1800 240 667.

Callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech / communication impairment may call textphone/ telewriter (TTY) on 1800 122 969.

Information is also available at www.dse.vic.gov.au/fires or www.cfa.vic.gov.au.

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