Smoke-related health impacts of an unprecedented 2019/2020 forest fire season in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Background Victoria is a state in south-eastern Australia with a population of 6.6 million people. The 21st of November 2019 was the start of an unprecedented forest fire season during which 1.5 million hectares were burnt in Victoria. The fires were preceded by record fire danger weather in Australia and smoke affected large populations for a longer duration and with higher concentrations than previous fire seasons. As this was a recent event, detailed analysis of the wide-ranging health impacts are ongoing. Methods EPA Victoria commenced monitoring fine particles on 25th November 2019. A total of 32 air monitors measuring PM2.5 were deployed across the state. Preliminary data on emergency department presentations from the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset were provided by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. Results Air pollution from the forest fires was worst in the eastern half of the State. The 24-hour air quality standard for PM2.5 (25 µg/m3) was exceeded for 50 days in the East Gippsland region. The maximum 24 hour average PM2.5 was 3,253 µg/m3 and was recorded in the town of Bright in the north east. The 1hr peak at Bright was 6,956 µg/m3. Initial descriptive analyses of Victorian emergency department data clearly demonstrate an increase in respiratory-related emergency department presentations during this period. For example, in January 2020 Victorian emergency departments reported over 1,500 additional respiratory-related presentations compared to the same period the previous year. More detailed analyses investigating the association between forest fire smoke exposure and health effects using hospital admissions, Ambulance Victoria call-outs and calls to Nurse-on-Call are in progress. Conclusions Preliminary analyses have revealed major increases in respiratory-related emergency department presentations during an unprecedented 2019/2020 forest fire season in Victoria, Australia. Results of further analysis will be presented at the conference.