Hazelwood coalmine fire has had lasting health effects on Latrobe valley residents, study finds

Researchers say exposure to fine particle matter in smoke could lead to lung damage equivalent to four years of ageing

Exposure to hazardous air pollution from the Hazelwood coalmine fire in Victoria has been linked to reduced lung function in people years after the 2014 fire, according to a new study.

Research conducted four years after the mine fire found that adults who had been exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) had decreased respiratory reactance, a measure of the stretchiness of the lungs.