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WE NEED air to live, but few are aware that the same air can also be a cause of death for many.
Specifically, 6.5 million deaths worldwide are due to air pollution in 2012.
Although more lives were lost than all wars, still do not know what are the effects of air pollution on our health and the economy.
This is partly due to its insidious nature. And often, we do not think of the importance of clean air in our lungs before it is too late.
What is pollutant air?
By definition, an air pollutant is "any substance in the air that could – in sufficiently high concentrations – injure humans, animals, vegetation or matter."
These substances include ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.
However, fine particles are of particular concern because fine particles, or PM2.5, refer to respirable particles that enter the respiratory system.
They can occur naturally, like volcanic eruptions, but they are mainly artificial from sources such as diesel vehicles, power plants and agricultural burning.
Effects of Air Pollution
While air pollution affects everyone, some groups are more vulnerable than others. They include those with preexisting conditions and those with extreme extremes.
For example, exposure to PM2.5 in pregnant women is associated with congenital malformations.
Children are more sensitive to the effects of pollutants because their lungs are still developing and they also tend to inhale more air.
This may lead to suboptimal lung function due to excessive exposure to air pollutants, possibly preventing them from reaching their full physical potential.
On the other end of the spectrum, a study of 60 million Americans aged 65 and over showed that long-term exposure to fine particles increases the risk of premature death .
Worldwide study results are striking: PM2.5 is linked to various medical conditions, with higher exposure levels resulting in a lower quality of life and a potential death.
There is no doubt that even a small change in the level of pollutants will have a huge impact on both public health and the economy.
Going Forward
The annual average of PM2.5 in Malaysia is 50% higher than the safe level determined by the World Health Organization; the conditions are worse in urban areas.
As individuals, we must take steps, small but important, to help reduce air pollution, such as rethinking the way we travel, including the option of transportation. or carpooling.
The use of low emission or zero emission vehicles will also help improve the air we breathe.
Another way is to take steps to reduce exposure: avoid exposure during peak hours to help mitigate adverse effects.
This also applies to people who are regularly stuck in traffic at rush hour – the exposure can be reduced by closing the windows of vehicles and recirculating the vehicle's ventilation system.
More can be done with appropriate policies, such as abandoning coal for cleaner fossil fuels such as gas, which will likely bring significant health and economic benefits.
A 2010 report by the United States Clean Air Task Force indicated that particulate matter pollution existing coal-fired power plants would cause 13,200 premature deaths in 2010, not counting approximately 9,700 additional hospitalizations and approximately 20,000 heart attacks.
In addition, diesel vehicles, particularly older vehicles, contribute significantly to the pollution of the environment. air
Soot free vehicles, such as those equipped with electric or hybrid engines, compressed natural gas or biogas, have the potential to reduce the production of fine particulate matter.
Appropriate policy changes will have an even greater impact when they are applied to the energy section – from the increase of gas-fired plants to better control of emissions fugitive and capture of the gas burned.
The increased role of gas in our energy mix results in the use of a much cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels.
The reduction of fine particles and other emissions such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide will bring immediate and long-term benefits to the environment and our health.
With clean air, we can go out or walk our children to the park without having to worry about health consequences.
By being more aware of the role of clean air in our lives, we can take the appropriate steps to ensure that we live in a better and healthier world for future generations.
This article was written by Dr. Helmy Haja Mydin, respiratory consultant physician at Twin Towers Medical Center and Pantai Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. He is also the co-founder of Asthma Malaysia.
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