Impacts of indoor air pollution
Dr Wrishi Raphael
The impacts of indoor air pollution may be just as severe as outdoor air pollution if the measures to curtail pollution are not addressed. The ominous effects of indoor air pollution are apparent in people of all ages; children being the most vulnerable.
Smoking is still one of the biggest culprits of indoor air pollution. Passive smoking describes the inhalation of other peoples tobacco smoke or second hand smoke. Major reviews conclude that passive smoking causes heart disease and lung cancer.
Children and passive smoking
Breathing in secondhand smoke is particularly harmful for children. Children who breathe in
secondhand smoke have an increased risk of:
cot death (sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS) this is twice as likely in babies whose mothers smoke
developing asthma smoking can also trigger asthma attacks in children who already have the condition
serious respiratory (breathing) conditions such as bronchitis and pneumonia younger children are also much more likely to be admitted to hospital for a serious respiratory infection
meningitis
coughs and colds
middle ear infections
(otitis media) which can cause hearing loss.
Children who grow up with a parent or family member who smokes are three times more likely to start smoking themselves.
If youre a parent who smokes, it will be hard to explain to your children why they shouldnt start smoking. Try to lead by example and quit. As well as improving your health and theirs, your children may be less likely to start smoking later in life.
In certain parts of the world, there are punitive measures to restrict the impacts of indoor and passive smoking.
In Victoria, Australia it is illegal to smoke:
in most indoor workplaces
within the grounds of, and at and within four metres of an entrance to, all Victorian childcare centres, kindergartens (or preschools) and primary and secondary schools
at and within four metres of an entrance to childrens indoor play centres and Victoria public premises (which are all public hospitals and registered community health centres, and certain Victorian Government buildings)
in cars carrying children who are under 18 years of age
at all of Victorias patrolled beaches within 50 metres of a red and yellow flag
within ten metres of childrens playground equipment
within ten metres of skate parks
within the outdoor areas of all public swimming pool complexes
within ten metres of outdoor sporting venues during under 18s events
in all areas of train stations,
covered bus shelters, raised platform tram stops and all tram stop shelters
on the grounds of prisons.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral contained within rocks produced largely in Russia and other countries for construction and ship building purposes. Although the use of asbestos in Bangladesh is not very common, workers of the ship breaking yards of Chittagong are vulnerable to asbestos exposure and its toxicity. Fibres of asbestos become airborne very easily and after their accumulation inside lung tissue, asbestos hampers the gaseous exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen to and from the lungs. Asbestos also damages the elastic fibres of lung tissue and cause pulmonary fibrosis and scarring; a condition known as asbestosis. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the pleura which can be triggered by small amounts of asbestos. This tumour grows very rapidly and the symptoms of breathlessness, chest pain and weight loss are progressive and quick. There is no effective treatment of mesothelioma anywhere in the world. For all of its lethal effects, the mining of asbestos has phased out completely in most parts of the world but ships which were built during the 80s and 90s are laden heavily with this lethal mineral. Although the ship breaking industry has become a sustainable source of income for many
families, authorities are yet to come up with pragmatic solutions on how to protect workers from asbestosis.
Wood fired heating is still one of the primary sources of house hold cooking in rural areas. Wood fire releases pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, air toxins and particulate matter. Even if impacts of air pollution on global warming were to be ignored for a while, it is simply dangerous to ignore the impacts of wood heating on health.
Even low amounts of carbon monoxide can cause headache, fatigue or chest pain. Exposure to higher levels of this gas can have permanent effects on the brain and heart. Similarly particulate matter is capable of temporary health effects like itchy or burning eyes, throat irritation and runny nose and long term problems like bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. Wood fire for cooking cannot be stopped overnight since its impossible to switch to other sustainable energy sources anytime in the near future. But providing quality healthcare and counseling for life style modifications maybe undertaken by the public sector and NGOs. Simple breathing techniques, use of face masks and promoting the use of inhalational steroids for the preventive therapy of bronchitis or asthma can help our people to breathe free and live socially and economically productive lives.
The writer can be reached at
[email protected]
