Is the "air pollution" caused by the fire in the pit a deadly factor? Study warns: Low concentrations of PM2.5 can also increase death risk
A fire broke out in an electronic product factory in Shenkeng District, New Taipei City yesterday (20th). Although the fire was extinguished at 6 o’clock that night, a large amount of electronic products and lithium batteries were released in the disposal, causing a stench to be heard in many places in both north and south; the smoke was even worse It spread to Xindian, Zhongyonghe, New Taipei City, and Wenshan District, Taipei City. To make matters worse, air pollution from overseas invaded Taiwan with the northeasterly wind about a week ago. Therefore, those who need to go out must take respiratory protection measures to avoid inhaling harmful gases.
Low concentrations of PM2.5 can also kill! Research: Only an increase of 10μg/m³ increases mortality by 8%
It is recommended that the public do not ignore the dangers of air pollution! Research published in Science Advances in September last year has clearly shown that even low levels of air pollution are enough to increase human mortality and may also increase the risk of early death.
A research team from McGill University in Canada combined the medical records and mortality data of 7 million Canadians over the past 25 years with the national outdoor PM2.5 concentration level data, and used a series of cross-comparisons to try to clarify the relationship between the two. sex. It is understood that Canada’s average air pollution level is lower than that of other countries. The average PM2.5 index in 2021 is 8 μg/m³, which is nearly 10 times that of Bangladesh (76.9 μg/m³), the most polluted country.
However, even in Canada, where air quality is generally good, air pollution still affects the average life span of local residents. Research results show that if the outdoor PM2.5 concentration increases by 10 μg/m³ on average, it is associated with an 8% increase in the risk of non-accidental death. Even after taking into account smoking, alcohol consumption, BMI, exercise and dietary habits, there is still a significant association between PM2.5 and the risk of death.
Study author Scott Weichenthal pointed out that the experiment also found that when the concentrations of two chemical components, “excess metals” and “sulfur content”, increase, the correlation between PM2.5 and mortality is stronger. He also pointed out that by analyzing the functional form of global PM2.5 concentration, it can be known that more than 1.5 million people around the world may have additional attributable death risks due to air pollution every year.
Cancer, dementia, and depression are all here? Air pollution linked to 6 disease risks
Why is exposure to PM2.5 associated with higher mortality? In fact, there have been many studies in the academic community that point out that the impact of air pollution on the heart, lungs, and brain may lead to fatal consequences. Overall, overexposure to PM2.5 can lead to the following consequences:
Reduced brain function. The University of Washington analyzed 1,967 pregnant women and found that PM2.5 is related to poor brain development in children in the future; a Boston College study also claimed that air pollution reduced the average IQ of local children by about 2 points, and reported many cases of cognitive decline and learning ability in children. Insufficient cases.
Lung cancer. A mouse study by Nanjing University in China showed that suspended particulates in the air inhibit the growth of immune cells, cytotoxic T cells, which indirectly causes cancer cells in the lungs to thrive and increases the risk of lung cancer.
Obesity. The University of Michigan analyzed 1,654 women from around the world and found that long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with higher body fat (an average increase of 4.5%). Studies have shown that exposure to PM 2.5 enhances the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis, leading to an increase in adipocytes and visceral fat.
Irregular heartbeat. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines state that when PM2.5 rises by only 1 μg/m³ in 1 week, the likelihood of arrhythmia increases by 2.4% compared with the average level. When PM10 was 1 μg/m³ above the average within 1 week, the risk of arrhythmia increased by 2.1%.
Depression. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that air pollution or ozone may increase inflammation in the body, which may be related to the occurrence of depression. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to these effects because they spend more time outdoors than adults or the elderly.
Dementia. A study by the University of Southern California pointed out that older women living in areas where suspended particulate matter exceeds standards have an 81% higher risk of cognitive decline; and a 92% higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Research suggests that this phenomenon may be related to air pollution stimulating the Alzheimer’s disease-related gene “APOE4”.
Finally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls on the public to take proactive measures to protect their respiratory tract from the effects of air pollution when air pollution is raging in the environment. For example, take the initiative to go online to learn about the air quality index; reduce the chance of going out; wear long-sleeved clothes, hats, glasses, and masks; place plants outdoors; avoid second-hand smoke or perfume smoke, and use air purifiers to operate throughout the day, which can provide appropriate prevention The harm of air pollution to the body.
Source:
most polluted countries and regions in the world (historical data 2018 - 2021)
Low levels of air pollution deadlier than previously thought News
How low can you go? Air pollution affects mortality at very low levels
Air pollution particles hijack peroxidasin to disrupt immunosurveillance and promote lung cancer
Further reading:
