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| Note: | The question used to define the indicator was: What is the usual way you heat the living areas of your home? Estimates are based on 8,295 respondents. 85 (1.01%) were not stated (Don’t know or Refused). LL/UL 95%CI = lower and upper limits of the 95% confidence interval for the point estimate. |
| Source: | NSW Population Health Survey (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health. |
Burning fuels (like natural gas or wood) in the home releases products of combustion, which include water vapour, carbon monoxide, and other gases. In homes where this occurs, it is important to ensure adequate ventilation and proper maintenance of appliances.
Unflued gas heaters and open wood fires are 2 sources of home heating that release products of combustion indoors (Sheppeard V et al, 2006). The 2005 NSW Health Survey included questions about the usual methods for heating homes. Respondents to this survey reported that unflued gas heating was the usual method for 17.9% of homes, and open wood-fires were used by 4.0% of homes. These proportions are respectively lower and higher than in 2002 where the corresponding figures were 19.4% and 3.2%. The 2005 survey results also showed an increase in the use of reverse cycle air conditioning of almost 7% from 2002 (from 20.1 % to 26.9%).
A study of school children aged eight to 11 years in Belmont, New South Wales showed that being exposed to fume-emitting heaters in the first year of life was associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms (Phoa et al, 2004). If confirmed in other settings, this finding would require a review of the range of heating types that are appropriate for use in households in which young children live.
| For more information: |
Department of Environment and Conservation. Woodsmoke. Available at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/woodsmoke/index.htm. Sheppeard V, Morgan G, Corbett S. NSW Indoor Air Survey. Part I: Sources and concentrations of pollutants in homes in New South Wales; Part II: Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in homes in New South Wales; Part III: Particulate matter concentrations in homes in New South Wales. Environmental Health 2006; 6(3): 15-41. NSW Department of Health. Wood smoke from wood-fired home heaters. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2003. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/factsheet/pdf/wood_smoke_pub.pdf NSW Department of Health. Unflued gas heaters. Sydney: NSW Department of Health, 2004. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/pdf/gas_heaters_fs.pdf NSW Department of Health. Indoor air pollution. Available at www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/ehb/hazards/indoor.html Phoa LL, BG Toelle, Ng K, Marks GB. Effects of gas and other fume emitting heaters on the development of asthma during childhood. Thorax.59(9):741-5, 2004. Department of Environment and Conservation. New South Wales State of the Environment 2003. Sydney: Department of Environment and Conservation, 2003. Available at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/SOE/soe2003/index.htm. The next edition of the report is expected at the end of 2006. |
| Print version: | Although this page can be printed directly from your Web browser, a higher quality version of this entire page (graph, table and text) is available as an Acrobat PDF file which can be printed or viewed on screen using free software. |
| Downloadable files: | The data contained in the table on this page are available for download as a CSV file which can be imported into many software packages. The graph is available for download as an EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) file and as an EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format) file. Files in these formats can be imported into most word processing, presentation and graphics software packages. |
| Copyright notice: | This work is copyright NSW Department of Health, 2006. It may be reproduced in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited. |
| Suggested citation: | Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales - Report of the Chief Health Officer. Sydney: NSW Department of Health. Available at: http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/chorep/env/env_airind.htm. Accessed (insert date of access). |
| Produced by: | Centre for Epidemiology and Research, Population Health Division, NSW Department of Health. |
| Last updated on: | 30 November 2006 |
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