The BNHRC aims to blend university research with traditional knowledge and community involvement. One project is already providing insights into the environmental and health impacts of different burning practices.
In December 2024, BNHRC researchers visited Murramarang Country to discuss the ‘Research to Understand Smoke Hazards’ project with the local Mob.
Both the University of Wollongong team and the Indigenous community want to better understand how both cultural burning practices and contemporary hazard reduction techniques impact air quality and community health.
There is a belief that the lower-intensity burns practiced by Aboriginal people for centuries lead to significantly reduced smoke exposure. To test this, the team hopes to equip community members with personal monitors during future cultural burns, providing data on smoke exposure levels.
During the consultation near the NSW South Coast, Prof Clare Murphy and Dr Max Desservettaz showcased instruments and personal sensors, sparking conversation on how such equipment could be used in future research. They listened to community members’ ideas, paving the way for collaborative research that incorporates traditional knowledge.
A recent experiment involves investigating whether certain native fruits and seeds, known for their toxicity when consumed, emit harmful air toxins when burned. The team is particularly interested in hydrogen cyanide (HCN), hypothesizing that the compounds responsible for the fruits' toxicity might be released during combustion.
To explore this, the team conducted a preliminary experiment using a small-scale ‘backyard fire’ setup with locally-sourced wood. The highest levels of HCN emissions were actually recorded when the fire was first lit, even before any fruits or seeds were added. This aligns with existing knowledge that wood burning itself produces HCN.
However, after adding the fruits and seeds, no noticeable increase in HCN emissions was detected - even when the items were isolated and tested while smouldering. This suggests that the expected release of cyanide compounds might not occur during combustion, but further testing is required for conclusive results.
The research team plans to continue exploring air toxic emissions using portable carbon monoxide (CO) and HCN monitors.
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