Australians breathing toxic bushfire smoke will have to wait years to know what long-term health impacts they may suffer, as experts say there is no precedent to the ongoing crisis.
Australians breathing toxic bushfire smoke will have to wait years to know what long-term health impacts they may suffer, as experts say there is no precedent for the ongoing crisis.
While this means little research has been done on the lasting effects of bushfire smoke exposure over weeks or months, he said studies showed residents of highly polluted cities had an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes over time."What we're finding now is that air pollution tends to affect all parts of the body," he said. "There is increasing evidence around air pollution and neurological conditions, for example Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.
Bushfires produce particulate-matter pollution - airborne particles that are small enough to enter and damage human lung tissue. "Unborn babies exposed to the Hazelwood smoke were more likely to experience coughs or colds two to four years after the fires," Associate Professor Johnston said. A study of adults exposed to smoke from the Hazelwood fires also found increased rates of respiratory symptoms.As the federal government's response to the bushfire crisis turns to the recovery effort, Health Minister Greg Hunt on Monday said the government had deployed eight Australian Medical Assistance Team specialists to provide "immediate clinical and logistical assistance" to people evacuated from bushfire-affected communities in Victoria.
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