While most of the climate reports focus on carbon emissions, being able to breathe truly fresh air is a not just a respiratory problem, but cardiovascular, also. The good news: we can recommend specific actions we can take to reduce and even eliminate the problem for ourselves. Comments afterwards.
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
‘Safe’ air-quality levels in US, UK and
EU still harmful for health, study says
Even small amount of exposure to minute soot particles –
known as PM2.5 – raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Oliver Milman in New York @olliemilman
The Guardian
21 Feb 2024
The sooty air pollution spewed out by cars, trucks and factories is causing widespread harm to people’s hearts and lungs even with the smallest amounts of exposure, with government regulations still routinely allowing for dangerous risks to public health, two major new studies have found.
There is no safe amount of a microscopic form of airborne pollution known as PM2.5, consisting of tiny particles of soot measuring less than the width of a human hair, for heart and lung health, US researchers found, with even small amounts raising the risk of potentially serious problems.
In one of the studies, an analysis of 60 million people in the US aged 65 and older from 2000 to 2016 found there was an increased risk of hospitalization for seven major types of cardiovascular disease when exposed to the average levels of PM2.5 found in the US.
The increased level of risk is significant, with the average pollution amount in the US causing the risk of hospital admission to jump by 29%, or nearly a third, compared with the lower air quality guideline level issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).
But even the WHO-recommended level isn’t itself safe, the second study found, with a significant increase in hospital visits occurring for cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease, as well as emergency visits for respiratory problems, when short-term PM2.5 exposure was below the WHO limit.
Gregory Wellenius, an environmental scientist at the Boston University School of Public Health and co-author of the second paper, said …
“We are seeing a multitude of effects
from this pollution, from chronic ob-
structive pulmonary disease to asthma,
and it’s affecting people at very low levels.
This is affecting everyone, not just
children and the elderly. It’s every age.”
The small particles of PM2.5 are primarily given off through the combustion of fossil fuels used by cars, trucks, power plants and industrial processes. The particles can also be emitted as a result of wildfires, which in some places are getting fiercer due to the climate crisis. When inhaled, the particles are lodged in the lungs, leading to a myriad of health problems.
The dangers posed by such pollution have been known for some time – according to previous research, about 5 million people a year, worldwide, die as a result from fossil fuel air pollution. Air and water pollution, together, account for one in six deaths across the planet.
However, government regulations have failed to keep pace with this menace. This month, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strengthened the national air quality standard for PM2.5, a move hailed by Joe Biden’s administration as a crucial measure that will save thousands of lives.
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Well, citing a primary source of the problem – particulates are ”primarily given off through the combustion of fossil fuels” – our first response needs to be the reduction of fossil fuel combustion, especially in our personal environment. While we may have to rely on government regulations to curtail combustion emissions from power plants and industrial processes, we can certainly reduce and even eliminate the problem near our homes.
Without boasting, our Garden Atrium homes use zero fossil fuels for heating, cooling, or cooking. And over half the cars here are electric – powered by our solar panels. In addition to the extensive planting in our “Garden Atrium,” we also planted hundreds of trees and shrubs on our site. The leaves provide higher levels of oxygen in and around our homes. And the leaves also pull out particulate matter from the air. Adding D’s comments …
“To begin with, if you have more oxygen in your home, which can be increased by a multitude of plants, your lungs get stronger. Inside a home, the Boston Fern will pull out many toxins. Specifically, for particulate matter, such as PM2.5, make sure you are replacing air filters in your home regularly – at least once a month – and, if you have screens on doors and windows, make sure you clean them at least a couple of times a year.
“For outside your home, planting trees will help. And if there are forest fires in your area, wear a mask to filter your air, so the particulate matter does not get in your lungs.”
