Particle matter pollution (PM2.5 & PM10) from 'unavoidable' burning is killing and hospitalising people every year. All beings that breathe are affected but those who are vulnerable, such as children, the elderly and sick people are more affected. Not only do they kill people who are already not in perfect adult health but they also cause illnesses including coughs, asthma and other lung conditions. They may also trigger heart attacks."Particles smaller than 10 micrometres (µm) in diameter (PM10) are consistently associated with increased mortality and hospital admissions for people with both heart and lung disease."
"Because of their smaller size, these particles can be inhaled more deeply into the lungs where the irritation can cause coughs, asthma and other lung conditions. Some are small enough to pass into the bloodstream through the finest blood vessels of the lungs where they can trigger heart attacks in people with existing lung or heart conditions and impact more severely on children and the elderly."
Harmful ozone causing further respiratory damage is also promoted by burning. "Hazard reduction burns are potentially significant sources of ozone precursors".
"Emissions from human activities are sufficient to cause regular exceedances of the AAQ NEPM standards."When compared, it would appear that hazard reduction burning is more dangerous to human life than bushfires are, but that bushfires are more hazardous to property. Especially heap fires which are not 'unavoidable' could immediately be stopped to protect the air quality in rural areas. But perhaps hazard reduction burning might also be minimised to save lives with property as collateral.
Source:
http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/soe/soe2012/chapter2/chp_2.1.htm#2.1.9
More on the rendering of large parts of the earth uninhabitable:
Many fires in New South Wales, Australia, NASA's Aqua satellite, July 11
Hazard reduction in Bongil Bongil National Park.
Local residents welcome new vegetation clearing laws with open arms.
Scientists show a drier Australia is primarily caused by greenhouse gases, thinning in ozone layer
Rainfall decline in south-west Australia linked to climate change
Updates:
Mark Z. Jacobson. Effects of biomass burning on climate, accounting for heat and moisture fluxes, black and brown carbon, and cloud absorption effects. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/2014JD021861
Sydneysiders choking on the air they breathe, SMH 082014
Hazard Reduction burns rescheduled due to health warnings about smoke, rfs. NSW, 0814
Increased air pollution from bushfires is among the rising threats facing NSW residents as global warming makes blazes more likely, according to a new report by the Climate Council. SMH 1014
Smoke from agricultural land-clearing fires linked to tornado intensity, 022015
P. E. Saide, S. N. Spak, R. B. Pierce, J. A. Otkin, T. K. Schaack, A. K. Heidinger, A. M. da Silva, M. Kacenelenbogen, J. Redemann, G. R. Carmichael. Central American biomass burning smoke can increase tornado severity in the U.S. Geophysical Research Letters, 2015; DOI: 10.1002/2014GL062826
"There is nothing left of an emu-wren after a fire, not even a pile of ash" inappropriate fires abc
Fire hazard reduction strategy in Tasmania targets private land for first time. Asthma sufferers have been warned to expect more smoke."You may be killed by flame, but you can just as easily be killed by smoke and you're just as dead," Mr Dow-Sainter said. abc 23.03.2015
