Trans-boundary air pollution from biomass burning like forest fire is a recurrent environmental problem in Southeast Asia. This raises inevitable issues of the impact of increasing air pollution on human health. Biomass burning releases large amounts of particulates (solid carbon combustion particulates) and gases. Uncontrolled forest fire in Southeast Asia especially Indonesia and Malaysia has caused smoke pollution (haze). The haze episodes in Southeast Asia contributed to substantial health problem of the public in 1997 and early 1998. Exposure to gas and particulate air pollution resulted in adverse health effects i.e. an increase in the morbidity and mortality due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases however the biological mechanisms responsible for this association are not clear. This study was carried out to determine the effects of particulate matter and gases from biomass burning on the respiratory system using experimental animals in a laboratory simulation.
