Forest on Fires and Human Health
In the dry season in tropical countries is characterized with drought and dried condition of vegetation. This makes easily burn. However, there is dry vegetation purposely burn by the irresponsible people who want to open the forest for their agricultaral activities.
Indonesia's forests are so vast that contribute oxygen to the world, dubbed as one of the world's lungs.
The rapid population growth often lead to social problems, economic and environmental. Forests are a proponent of the economy. Indonesia is a country with rapid population growth is not accompanied by the availability of sufficient jobs. The pressure on the agricultural and human activities gradually led to land degradation and forest. The rate of deforestation in Indonesia in the year 2000 - 2005 reached 1.05 million hectares per year.
Indonesia, especially the islands have wide farms and forests, often experiencing forest on fires. Indonesian fires a subscription every year in the dry season and be catastrophic not only for local people but the impact is also felt in neighboring countries. Forest on fires are often caused by way of preparing agricultural land and timber industry is still done by the combustion technique. Provinces that experienced more than 1,500 wildfires per year include: Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, Jambi and Riau.
A direct result of forest on fires is smoke pollution. Smoke is a collection of carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, particles, hydrocarbons and other organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides and other minerals. The composition of smoke depends on many factors such as type and water content of the fuel, the combustion temperature, wind and other weather factors, new or old smoke and other factors. Timber and forest vegetation has a variety of cellulose, lignin, tannins, polyphenols, oils, fats, resins, waxes and other carbon will affect the composition of smoke produced.
Smoke will cause health problems. Solid particles in the smoke have a variety of sizes. Particle size of 10 micrometers can not enter the lungs but it will irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Particle size less than 10 micrometers can be inhaled deep into the lungs to cause heart and lung function impairment. Particles in the smoke will react with sunlight to form smog. Solid particles in the smoke will dissipate sunlight that interfere with vision. Therefore, forest fires will also interfere with public transportation.
Carbon monoxide is the result of incomplete combustion of gas that is colorless and odorless so that its presence is difficult to detect. Carbon monoxide is toxic because it will be bound by red blood cells and cause disturbances in the circulation of oxygen in the body. It means harmful to human health . Benzene is carcinogenic in fire smoke is also a potential cause of cancer. Health problems caused by the smoke and haze of forest fires include dizziness, eye irritation, respiratory tract irritation such as cough, phlegm in mucus-slauran breathing, wheezing to more severe disorders such as decreased lung function, bronchitis, asthma attacks to sudden death. Sudden death can occur in patients with heart disease and other respiratory disorders. Communities that are vulnerable to interference smog include: People with asthma and other respiratory tract obstructive disease; People with heart disease and blood vessel; Children; Aged People; Pregnant women; and Smokers.
This pollution affects the concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere, the oxygen content normally is 21 %.
