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Bushfire smoke: an exemplar of coupled human and natural systems
Citation
Johnston, F and Bowman, D, Bushfire smoke: an exemplar of coupled human and natural systems, Geographical Research, 52, (1) pp. 45-54. ISSN 1745-5871 (2014) [Refereed Article]
Copyright Statement
Copyright 2013 The Authors. Geographical Research © 2013 Institute of Australian Geographers
DOI: doi:10.1111/1745-5871.12028
Abstract
Carbon-based microscopic particles have provided a crucial line of evidence in
understanding the coupling between humans and fires. Through the sedimentary
record, they have informed our understandings of the patterns of climate and
humans on fire activity through time. The extent of contemporary atmospheric
biomass burning emissions has become apparent through satellite monitoring,
motivated by concerns about the effect on the climate system. Sophisticated
monitoring techniques designed to monitor industrial pollution have provided a
data stream useful to determine the impacts on human health of wildfire smoke:
we review this rapidly expanding field. The key findings are that biomass smoke
is quantitatively and qualitatively different from urban air pollution and that there
is no ‘safe’ level of biomass smoke exposure. Managing fires and smoke impacts
will become increasingly challenging as the climate continues to warm and
demands understanding the trade-off between wildfire and planned burns. The
health impacts from severe smoke events are substantial when large populations
are affected resulting in measurable increases in illness, hospital admissions, and
deaths. The health impacts are not evenly distributed, and large segments of the
population fall into higher risk groups. People in these categories are also likely
to be adversely affected by the comparatively minor episodes of pollution generated
by smaller planned burns. Planned burns thus need active programmes of
public communication and air quality monitoring to ensure that the overall public
health benefits of the intervention can be achieved with the minimum possible
adverse impacts on higher risk individuals.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | coupled natural and human systems; bushfire smoke; bushfires; planned burning; air pollution; health |
Research Division: | Health Sciences |
Research Group: | Epidemiology |
Research Field: | Environmental epidemiology |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
Objective Field: | Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Johnston, F (Professor Fay Johnston) |
UTAS Author: | Bowman, D (Professor David Bowman) |
ID Code: | 86709 |
Year Published: | 2014 (online first 2013) |
Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (LP0882048) |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 16 |
Deposited By: | Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
Deposited On: | 2013-10-15 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-31 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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