Air quality

• Tasmania has some of the cleanest air in the world.
• During bushfires, and in winter in some areas, air quality can be affected by smoke.
• Smoke in the air can affect your health.

Bushfire smoke and your health

Smoke from bushfires can harm your health by reducing the quality of the air you breathe.

Everyone should minimise the time spent in smoky conditions whenever it is practical to do so.

Why is smoke bad for your health?

Smoke is a mixture of particles, water vapour and gases. Fine particles called PM_2.5 are the biggest health concern. See Tracking air quality below for more about PM_2.5.

Fine particles can cause some short and long-term health effects. These microscopic particles can be breathed deep into your respiratory system and enter the blood stream. Breathing these particles can cause breathing problems and worsen existing health conditions throughout the body.

How smoke exposure affects you depends on your age, existing health conditions, the length of time you are exposed to the smoke and the concentration of smoke particles in the air.

People at higher risk

You are at higher risk of health harms from breathing smoky air if you:

• have lung problems of any kind, including asthma
• have other chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes or a previous stroke
• have diabetes
• are aged 65 years or over
• are an infant including unborn babies, or young child, especially under five years.
• are pregnant.

Download a guide to bushfire smoke and your health

What to do if you can see or smell smoke

1. Make sure you are safe from any immediate fire danger

• Follow directions from emergency services and advice from your doctor at all times. 

2. Decide if you are at higher risk

• The actions you take will depend on your age or your overall health, or those you care for.
• If you, or those you care for, are at higher risk, smoke can worsen existing health conditions.
• This might mean you need to seek urgent medical care.
• Air pollution is also one of many factors that can influence the growth and development of babies and children. Minimise how much smoke you breathe if pregnant or children in your care, when you can.
• If you, or those you care for, are at higher risk, it is important to manage health and reduce the smoke you/they breathe.
• If you are at lower risk, it is unlikely you will be at risk of serious health harms from breathing smoky air for short periods. 
• If pollution impacts are prolonged or recurrent, the reduced air quality over time can add to the risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes.

3. Manage your health

• If it’s smoky, and you have a health condition such as asthma, you should actively manage your symptoms and minimise the time spent in smoky conditions as much as you can.
• Follow your asthma action plan, or your health plan for managing other health conditions.
• If you don’t have an action plan, contact your GP. If you need advice after-hours call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 or see know your treatment options.
• If symptoms worsen, go to your nearest hospital emergency department.
• In a medical emergency, call 000 for an ambulance.
• For people at lower risk, you may get symptoms such as burning eyes, a sore throat, runny nose or a cough from breathing smoky air for short periods. These should clear up quickly once the smoke goes, if they don't then seek medical care.

4. Reduce the smoke you breathe

These simple steps can help reduce how much smoke you breathe.

• Stay indoors and avoid physical activity outdoors.
• Close windows and doors in your home and open them when air quality improves.
• Spend time in places with cleaner air, this could be an air-conditioned public building like a library or shopping centre or visit family or friends in an area not affected by smoke.
• Use a P2/N95 mask that fits well when you can't avoid smoke. They require an air-tight seal between the mask and your face to be most effective. If you have a pre-existing heart or lung condition, seek advice from your doctor if you have trouble breathing while wearing a mask.
• Consider using a portable air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air or HEPA filter, set up in a well-sealed room the right size for the filter. 

5. Keep track of smoke

• Identifying where there is less smoke can help you reduce the smoke you breathe.
• Air quality is not measured everywhere in Tasmania.  
• Smoke can vary from place to place and change quickly.
• Sometimes the air quality displayed could be different to the conditions you are experiencing. If you can see or smell smoke, and you are at higher risk, then take steps to protect your health and avoid breathing smoke if you can.
• At all times, keeping safe from immediate fire danger is your highest priority. 
• You can track air quality via the Environment Protection Authority website, see below including 'how to read the map'.

Tracking air quality

• Smoke is made up of hundreds of different gases and small particles (known as particulate matter or ‘PM’).
• PM_2.5 is the name given to the very small particles which can cause health problems.
• These are less than 2.5 micrometres in size, about one twenty-fifth (1/25) the width of a human hair.
• The amount of PM_2.5 in the air is the best indicator of how much smoke is in the air.
• You can find out more about these particles at the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) website.
• The EPA monitors these particles in many places across Tasmania. This information is shown in the map below and is updated every 10 minutes.
• The EPA also provide an alternative accessible version of EPA Tasmania PM_2.5 data, in micrograms per cubic metre. This listing is alphabetical by station and includes date, time, current PM_2.5, Hour-averaged PM_2.5 and category.
• You can also download the free AirRater smartphone app. AirRater provides air quality information from the EPA network and estimates air quality in places without an air monitoring station.
• For more information and to download the app, visit the AirRater website.

Air quality map

To see your local air quality, find your nearest location on the air quality map on the EPA website, and match the colour of the location to the table below, 'How to read the map'.

View a real-time map from the EPA on Tasmanian Hour-averaged air quality data.

View a text version of the real-time map from the EPA on Tasmanian Hour-averaged air quality data

Smoke concentrations can vary from place to place and change quickly. Sometimes the air quality displayed for your nearest EPA monitor or shared via the AirRater app could be different to the conditions you are experiencing. The table below is a guide to the expected conditions at different concentrations of PM_2.5 (rolling hourly average).

How to read the map

PM2.5	What the conditions are like	What this means
0-9 Good	Beautiful. In many parts of Tasmania background PM2.5 is less than 5 and hard to beat.	Enjoy the outdoors.
10-24 Fairly Good	Generally good, it might appear a little hazy.	This could indicate that air quality is beginning to get worse. Keep an eye on conditions. If the smoke has been much worse and is now improving, this is a good time to open and air your house.
25-49 Fairly Poor	Generally, you are able to see or smell smoke in the air when PM2.5 is over 25.	The smoky air could worsen the health of people at higher risk from smoke. People at higher risk from smoke should consider taking action. For more information about what you can do, see the Bushfire smoke and your health fact sheet
50-99 Poor	Visibility will be poor, and conditions may be unpleasant for some people.	The smoky air is likely to worsen the health of people at higher risk from smoke. People at higher risk from smoke should take action to manage any health conditions and reduce the amount of smoke they breathe. For more information about what you can do, see the Bushfire smoke and your health fact sheet
100-299 Very Poor	It will likely be very smoky and unpleasant for everyone.	The smoky air is very likely to worsen the health of people at higher risk from smoke. People at higher risk from smoke need to take action to manage any health conditions and reduce the amount of smoke they breathe. People not in higher risk groups should consider taking action to minimise their smoke exposure if practical. For more information about what you can do, see the Bushfire smoke and your health fact sheet
300 + Extremely Poor	It will be very smoky and unpleasant for everyone.	This represents severe air pollution. Everyone should take action to manage any health conditions and reduce the amount of smoke they breathe. For more information about what you can do, see the Bushfire smoke and your health fact sheet

In general, if PM_2.5 levels are higher, at poor or very poor and have been for more than a day, it is important to take action. Poor air quality for several days has a greater health impact than a brief episode lasting a few hours. The higher the PM_2.5 the more likely this is to happen.

Where to get more information

• For warnings and emergency information go to the TasALERT website, you can also download the TasALERT app.
• For all fire-related information, visit Tasmania Fire Service  
• Check your local news or radio for smoke warnings in your area.
• Learn more about air quality in Tasmania, visit the Environment Protection Authority website.
• For easy read resources on what to do before, during and after a bushfire to stay safe.
• Contact your GP for medical advice or after-hours see know your treatment options.
• Contact Public Health Services Tasmania on 1800 671 738.