Particle pollution is worse than we knew and damaged "all organs of the body"

These little P2.5 things go everywhere and kill us. We must stop them at the source.

For years, we have talked about air pollution as being harmful to our health, but no one has ever explained why or how. It was often called "smog", which was a baggage of smoke and fog dating back to 1905, an essentially visible pollution. But the science of what is really the really harmful component of pollution has evolved.

Image EPA / Promo

Even Wikipedia notes that the main sources of traffic – related emissions are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and VOCs. "Emissions from transport also include sulfur dioxides and suspended particles, but in much smaller amounts than previously mentioned pollutants"But as we have already noted on TreeHugger, science now gives much more importance to these particles, especially very small particles, particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm, called PM2.5. on air pollution and noncommunicable diseases, concludes:

[PM2.5] is the fifth leading risk factor for death globally, with 4.2 million deaths and more than 103 million disability-adjusted life years, according to the World Burden of Disease Report . The World Health Organization attributes an additional 3.8 million deaths to indoor air pollution. Air pollution can have serious effects, usually due to respiratory or cardiac symptoms, as well as chronic damage that can affect all organs of the body.

The main source of PM2.5 was still smoking, first and second hand, and I have already noted that much of the PM2.5 danger understanding was probably lost in this cloud of cigarette smoke. But now that people smoke less, scientists realize that the campfire would have been almost as dangerous. (and we will not even mention the charred hot dogs)

Damian Carrington from the Guardian gives a particularly dramatic review of this study, showing how it affects our lungs, our heart and our brain, because the particles are so small that they enter our bloodstream and even into our blood. the nervous system:

"Studies on animals have shown that they can even travel to the brain through the olfactory nerve." An emerging area of ​​research also suggests that air pollution can affect gene function, he added. [Prof Dean Schraufnagel] added.

It can cause a stroke and dementia; they reduce fertility and increase miscarriages. Republicans at the helm of the United States could be particularly interested in the fact that "unborn children are also affected, a recent study has revealed the presence of pollutants in the placentas that feed the fetus." air is also closely related to the low birth weight of babies, which has lifelong consequences. "

You would not know about it in the United States, where the EPA dissolved the PM committee, which was supposed to determine the level of particle safety. They do not want to know or do not believe it. According to NPR, the chairman of the scientific advisory committee on air quality, appointed by the current government, "said that it was not appropriate that the air polluted by soot could cause a premature death ".

"[Committee] members have differing views on the adequacy of the evidence supporting EPA's conclusion that there is a causal link between [particulate matter] exposure and mortality, "said Cox.

There are many reasons why the US government would not want to get excited about PM2.5; The main sources are the production of electricity, domestic heating, cars and trucks, as well as forest fires, which are also the main sources of greenhouse gases. America does not aim to reduce the production of energy produced from coal or to sell energy-intensive cars and trucks. And many Americans do not take the climate crisis seriously. But they care about their health.

What can we do there?

There are a million different studies describing the worst emitters of PM2.5, but in North American cities, it seems like the two biggest heat up. And almost half of the driving particles come from tire, road and brake wear, which is quite proportional to the weight of the vehicles, which is another good reason to limit SUVs and pickups. in cities and promote lighter and smaller cars. And of course, get rid of diesel engines, switch to electricity, promote alternatives such as bike and electric bike, and improve public transit.

The other source is heating, where, as we noted previously, we must electrify everything. You do not want particles from your furnaces and water heaters, and certainly not from your gas stove. In fact, studies show that "a domestic stove emits a greater amount of very small particles since their post-oxidation is not possible." And please, no barbecues inside.

Bagel shop St-Viateur in Montreal / Lloyd Alter / CC BY 2.0

And alas, although I like a fireplace and a bread or pizza cooked over a wood fire, now that we have learned what about PM2.5 and the amount of smoke produced by Wood smoke, I'm afraid it's time to abandon them.

© NOAH BERGER / AFP / Getty Images | Part of the Mendocino complex fire, August 5, 2018.

And of course, it would be nice if we could generally lower the global temperature to prevent forest fires.

We have all wondered how to convince the population that the climate crisis is real, but that it is difficult to sell. But who really wants to accept that his child is born underweight or dies of COPD, cancer or dementia because he wants to drive his giant Denali. This is not a vague future event, it occurs every time you breathe.