Project Leader Tina Bell, University of Melbourne
Regular prescribed fires are thought to
control the severity of wildfires but the impact on the community
from smoke may be greater than that produced by occasional
wildfires. A key issue to resolve is whether smoke from prescribed
fires differs from smoke produced by wildfires.
This project applies new and existing techniques to measure the
contribution of prescribed burns and wildfires to particulate
matter, classical pollutants, dioxins, irritants and carcinogens,
greenhouse gases, photochemically active gases and ozone-depleting
chemicals in smoke emissions. It investigates the impact of smoke
on human health by conducting surveys of related hospital
admissions, patient recovery and community perceptions.
Research will answer key questions about ecological and
environmental aspects of bushfire smoke - What contribution do
prescribed burning and wildfires make to greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere? What is the extent of loss of nutrients through
oxidation of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur? Is there a
ëgoodí side to smoke for regeneration of vegetation,
for example the promotion of germination of seed?
The project will produce a system for predicting the
concentration and composition of smoke from a given vegetation type
and condition, providing fire and land management agencies and
health departments with information that will lead to a reduction
in the impact of smoke on community health and safety.
