What is haze?
Smoke from domestic wood heating is the major source of pollution during winter in Perth. These smoke particles floating in the air (called Haze) can be breathed into our bodies. When we breathe in wood smoke, a fraction of the smoke particles are retained in our lungs, impacting on our health. These fine particles are particularly dangerous to people who have existing respiratory problems as well as the very young and the elderly. Even if you are healthy you can still be negatively affected by wood smoke causing you to feel lethargic and generally unwell. Haze events occur in Perth on cold, calm nights. As our population grows and continues to use wood heaters, it is likely that there will be an increase in air particulate levels in winter and an increase in haze events. This in turn will magnify health impacts.
