Respiratory and atopic conditions in children two to four years after the 2014 Hazelwood coalmine fire

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate associations between exposure during early life to mine fire smoke and parent-reported indicators of respiratory and atopic illness 2–4 years later. Design, setting: The Hazelwood coalmine fire exposed a regional Australian community to markedly increased air pollution during February – March 2014. During June 2016 – October 2018 we conducted a prospective cohort study of children from the Latrobe Valley. Participants: Seventy-nine children exposed to smoke in utero, 81 exposed during early childhood (0–2 years of age), and 129 children conceived after the fire (ie, unexposed). Exposure: Individualised mean daily and peak 24-hour fire-attributable fine particulate matt..