Erin Remblance is concerned about her six-year-old daughterâs health as authorities warn of continued air pollution this bushfire season.
The mother from Seaforth in Sydneyâs North said sheâs been keeping her three children indoors as much as possible, and wants to know if âthereâs a standard issued to all schools regarding hazardous air qualityâ.
âItâs really frightening,â the member of Australian Parents for Climate Action told HuffPost Australia. âItâs unprecedented, Iâve never seen Sydney like this before and itâs really sad for them [the kids] that theyâre stuck indoors and unable to play outside because the air is such bad quality.â
What Are Schools Doing To Protect Children?
Remblanceâs daughter is in kindergarten at Balgowlah North Public School, where staff have been communicating with parents about lunch breaks and activities that usually involve the children being outdoors.
âTheyâve been really good,â she said. âTheyâve been issuing and monitoring updates in the morning and letting us know whether the children will be able to play outside or not on that day.â
âI definitely think that there could be more done,â she then added. âAt which point do we give them face masks if the air quality is so poor? What do we do with children who have breathing difficulties or conditions like asthma and that sort of thing?â
Department Of Educationâs Advice To Schools
According to the NSW Department of Education, schools have been advised âto look for ways to minimise exposure and adverse effects of bushfire smokeâ, while the department updates its School Safety page on a regular basis.
âNSW public schools are advised to consider the potential health implication for staff and students on days where there is poor air quality and plan their school activities appropriately,â a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said in a statement to HuffPost Australia.
Some of the practical guidance the department has given schools includes, staying indoors âwith windows and doors closed, or stay in air-conditioned premises, if possibleâ, and to also âconsider cancelling sporting events and unnecessary outdoor activitiesâ.
âIn extreme situations where the entire school premises is heavily affected by smoke, schools will consider alternative arrangements for staff and students. If parents have concerns about the management of bushfire smoke at their childâs school, they are advised to speak with the Principal.â
âDone At A School Levelâ
Queenslandâs Department of Education said âall Queensland state schools take the health of students very seriouslyâ and that âdecisions to postpone or cancel outside activities are done at a school level, following an assessment of the risks posed by issues such as air quality, high temperatures or other environmental concerns to studentsâ.
âDuring the particularly hot and smoky days currently being experienced, principals are encouraged to modify or suspend school activities as appropriate. This could include cancelling or postponing outdoor activities,â said a department spokesperson.
âPlayground Is Desertedâ
âAt my kidsâ school you turn up, and the playgroundâs deserted, they go straight into class, and on those smokey days, things are cancelled,â said Sydney-based public health physican, Dr Kate Charlesworth.
âSport and outdoor activities are cancelled and theyâre in the classrooms, in the library or indoor areas. We need to do this in the short term, but several weeks of this is terrible for kids because they canât run around and play, exercise and get fresh air.â
How Are Kids Are Impacted By Bushfire Smoke?
Many are facing Sydneyâs âhazardousâ pollution level that has been branded worse than Jakarta and likened to smoking a whole cigarette packet in a day.
According to Dr John Van der Kallen, âchildren are particularly affectedâ by the poor air quality. Air particles can cause sore eyes, nose and throat for many kids, and irritate the respiratory system in more serious cases.
Lung Development
âTheir lungs are still growing and their bodies are still growing, so it can impair their lung development so they would never get the adequate lung growth that a child not exposed to those pollutants would have,â said the Newcastle-based rheumatologist.
Public health physician, Dr Kate Charlesworth, also explained that children âhave higher respiratory ratesâ where âthey breathe faster and deeperâ, and because their organ systems are still developing, âtheyâre more susceptibleâ to the health impacts of air pollution.
âBushfire smoke is made up of water vapour and gases and particulate matter. What weâre really concerned about now is really small particles, particulate matter 2.5 and smaller,â she said.
âTheyâre the ones now that we understand can get right down into your lungs and actually can get into your bloodstream and cause these sorts of inflammatory throughout the body.â
Asthma
Children under the age of four and those with asthma are more at risk of respiratory issues, however Dr Van der Kallen said âweâre seeing new cases of asthma in people and children who have never had it before, so this is a big concernâ.
âA lot of the large particles from fires will deposit more in the upper airways which means that the trachea is then irritated by those pollutants, causing the asthma,â he explained.
Short-Term Impacts
Both health experts, who are members of Doctors for the Environment, Australia, said short term impacts of bushfire smoke exposure also affect children.
âStinging eyes, throat irritation, runny nose, bronchitis, shortness of breath, wheezing â all of those things. They are more immediate health impacts,â explained Dr Charlesworth.
What Can Parents Do To Protect Their Children?
Asthma Australia has advised parents to âprotect the health of their children when air quality levels are poor or hazardousâ.
âThat might include staying inside, having indoor play dates, cancelling sport activities and other outdoor events,â said CEO of Asthma Australia, Michele Goldman.
âIf their child has asthma, create a clean air shelter inside, or take them regularly to a facility that has recycled air conditioning like the cinema or library. Parents may consider an air purifier but ensure it has a HEPA filter. I also strongly advise parents to understand how to identify an asthma attack and undertake asthma first aid.â
Can I Send Them To School?
Dr Charlesworth, said âThere is no safe level of air pollutionâ, and reiterated, âthe health messaging is stay indoors as much as you can and donât exercise outdoorsâ.
She added that âfor the kids who have asthma, I know a number of parents who are keeping them at homeâ, though Dr Van der Kallen highlighted some practicality issues.
âWhere itâs worse, parents may have to think about it,â he said. âIf parents are working, you canât just have the kids at home. Itâs difficult.
âI donât think thereâs any easy answers, we just have to be sensible and adapt to these changes. Itâs part of our whole climate change adaptation issue. We have to learn to manage these unprecedented events.â
Can I Take Them To Saturday Sport?
For parents who are concerned about childrenâs âSaturday sportâ activities, Dr Van der Kallen said, âOn the days where thereâs hazardous air quality, they just have to cancel that sport. Itâs just not safeâ.
âThose days where itâs really hazardous, I think itâs safer not to be exercising outside,â he continued, suggesting alternatives like an indoor gym with adequate air conditioning.
Can I Take My Newborn Outside?
He advised parents of infants to be cautious as well.
âYour lungs are developing from the moment youâre born, so itâs all about exposure really. I think certainly those days where it is really bad air quality, people donât go out walking with prams.â