ARTICLES
Stimulus Material for depth studies, courtesy of Macquarie University (continued)
Australia unprepared for climate change impact on allergies
A rise in dangerous and even fatal asthma and other allergic attacks—as occurred in Melbourne’s deadly 2016
‘thunderstorm asthma event’—could be one of Australia’s biggest health challenges from climate change, warns
the author of a major new review of international evidence.
The review in the latest issue of Public Health Research & Practice, published by the Sax Institute, looks at
studies since 2000 relating to climate change, allergens and allergy.
It includes recent research from Europe and North America that finds higher temperatures and more carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere will significantly boost levels of allergens in the air such as grass pollen. At the same
time, the pollen season is changing, starting earlier and going on for longer. Again, the result is substantially
more pollen in the air.
However, the review’s author, Paul Beggs from Macquarie University’s Department of Environmental Sciences,
found that almost all the research about climate change’s effects on allergies is from overseas, and Australian-
focused research “is therefore urgently needed”.
Paul also found that Australia’s systems for monitoring, reporting and forecasting atmospheric concentrations of
allergens such as pollen were not fit for purpose.
The review notes that allergic illness is “already a very significant public health issue in Australia”. Asthma
prevalence in Australia is among the highest in the world, with some estimates suggesting one child in five has
wheeze symptoms and one in 13 has asthma.
Find out more
Syllabus link: B
iology Module 8. Non-infectious disease and disorders
Earth and Environmental Science Module 7 Climate Change
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 68 NO 1