26.02.2018 change 26.02.2018

Expert: Rising air pollution means an increase in hospitalisations and deaths

Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk 31.01.2017 Photo: PAP/Jacek Bednarczyk 31.01.2017

Smog kills. When air pollution rises, the number of hospitalisations and deaths increases - says Prof. Tadeusz Zielonka, a pulmonologist, internist and one of the experts at the science conference "Green for Clean Air" organized in Kraków.

"Smog kills" - the doctor says and quotes the Statistical Office data, according to which 41 thousand Polish citizens died in January 2017 - about 11 thousand more than in the last 20 years, when the number of deaths in January ranged from 30 to 32 thousand.

"People who have been ill for years, have taken medicines, die on a particular day. There is a very strong link between heavy air pollution and a sudden, unexpected death due to a stroke or heart attack. As the air pollution rises, the number of hospitalisations and deaths increases too" - says Prof. Zielonka.

The physician and scientist cites WHO data, according to which 7 million people die due to air pollution every year. PM2.5 dust annually contributes to 470,000 deaths in the European Union, of which about 10% (48 thousand, and including particulates other than PM2.5 - over 50 thousand) take place in Poland. For comparison, about 100,000 people per year die of cancer in Poland.

Prof. Zielonka points out that we often talk about PM2.5 and PM10 dusts, because among many different compounds present in smog, these two dusts, especially the PM2.5, are particularly dangerous - they get into the alveoli and they can diffuse into the bloodstream. "Once they get into the bloodstream, no organ is free and safe" - the doctor days.

He notes that smog primarily causes cardiovascular disease, and respiratory tract diseases are only in the second place. Polluted air leads mainly to heart attacks and strokes (over 60% in total). Other systems, including the nervous system, are also affected by pollution.

"Canadians have proven that people who live near busy streets are more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's syndrome" - the doctor says. He adds that in Kraków, a city particularly affected by smog, there are more children with asthma than the country average, and clearly more than in northern provinces.

The doctor stresses, citing studies, that pregnancy during the heating period (especially the first trimester) leads to premature birth and low birth weight.

"Low birth weight translates into health problems for a lifetime, a child with a low birth weight is much more susceptible to infections, asthma, than a child with a normal birth weight" - the expert says.

Asked how people can protect themselves from smog, the doctor replies that there is no single method and a comprehensive approach is necessary; both the central government and local governments have a job to do in this area. Other important aspects include education, social awareness, following the regulations.

Masks offer temporary protection from smog, but not every model performs well. According to the expert, masks should not be ordered online, because they must be tight and fit well. "Masks will not protect men with facial hair" - the doctor warns. In addition, masks must have both dust and gas filters.

Air purifiers - the professor says - can clean 99 percent dust from the interior of a room. Important factors include the seal and ventilation of windows. Research shows that leaky windows can allow up to 70 percent pollution to penetrate the room from the outside.

The scientific conference "Green for Clean Air" was organized in Kraków by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Poland together with the Department of Ornamental Plants of the University of Agriculture in Kraków. (PAP)

author: Beata Kołodziej

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