ADVICE to stay indoors and reduce strenuous physical exercise outdoors is impractical for dealing with long-term exposure to bushfire smoke, says environmental health expert Prof Sotiris Vardoulakis.
“Their effectiveness depends on the make and the fit. Surgical masks often have poor facial fit and professional P2/N95 face masks aren’t comfortable to wear over prolonged periods or made for children,” he says.
“Planning our daily activities to reduce exposure to outdoor pollution, and creating a clean air space in our own homes by keeping doors and windows shut and using an air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA), is probably the best option for most families.
“As the climate in Australia is becoming hotter and drier, we need to be prepared for more extreme bushfires and days with very poor air quality ahead.”
Who can be trusted?
In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.
If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.
Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.
Thank you,
Ian Meikle, editor
Leave a Reply