Bushfires in Victoria: how to protect yourself if the air is smoky where you live
While the air quality in Australia is generally good, events such as bushfires can have a significant effect.
- While the air quality in Australia is generally good, events such as bushfires can have a significant effect.
- Smoke can travel long distances and reduce air quality throughout a city or region.
- Ultimately, poor air quality can affect all of us, with even healthy people experiencing symptoms when exposed to high concentrations of bushfire smoke.
- Read more:
3 ways to prepare for bushfire season if you have asthma or another lung condition
Monitor the air quality
- On air quality indexes lower numbers indicate higher air quality, and vice versa.
- A number of websites provide air quality index information, for example IQAir for locations around Australia, or World’s Air Pollution for locations globally.
- There are also apps such as AirRater which can provide useful information in addition to air quality values, such as pollen levels.
- A growing number of air quality monitors are available to buy for home use, which measure single pollutants or a number of pollutants.
- However, these instruments are not the same as those used in statutory air quality monitoring stations (which provide data for websites like those mentioned above).
Stay inside
- For example, healthy people can generally continue outdoor activities when the air quality is “fair”.
- However, someone with a respiratory condition might need to decrease or stop outdoor activities at this point.
- If the air quality is “very poor”, everyone should stay indoors.
- The Victorian government offers some advice on how to ascertain what sort of unit will be suitable for your space.
Wear a mask if going outside
- If you need to go out when the air quality is poor, a P2 (or N95) mask provides protection from smoke particles in the air (but not gases such as carbon monoxide).
- For effective protection, the mask should be fitted properly and worn for the duration of your time outdoors.
Ryan Mead-Hunter receives funding from NHMRC and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.