Nine out of ten people on our planet breathe polluted air. It is estimated that seven million people die every year. In Southeast Asia, there are two million. That message came from the World Health Organization WHO based on new figures (May 2018).
Air pollution is worst in the Middle East, Central Africa and parts of Asia. The main causes are: industry, agriculture, transport and fossil fuels. But indoor air pollution also causes deaths. For example, by cooking on a wood fire with poor ventilation. In Thailand, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are notorious hotspots with a lot of particulate matter in the air.
The biggest problem is particulate matter that settles in your lungs and causes all kinds of diseases such as pneumonia and lung cancer. Exposure to particulate matter leads to shortened lifespan, also known as premature death. A person does not die from particulate matter, but from a disease that is exacerbated by particulate matter. Particulate matter causes a worsening of existing diseases such as disorders of the cardiovascular system and airways / lungs.
In the video below you can see what particulate matter does to your body:
– Reassignment due to current affairs –
Kudos to the editors for taking a moment to think about this, now that tens of thousands of young people in Europe are also taking to the streets for this... But, unfortunately, in Thailand people are more likely to die than lose sleep over it. And that's not going to change. Thais do not think about their fellow man and burn dirt and charcoal everywhere, throw their plastic waste on the street even though there are "trash drums" every few meters... They don't care a bit. And that's how they behave in traffic...And...where not? Well, where not, I can clarify that… They “behave” with the necessary “Waai's”, polite greetings, but in addition, hypocrisy, corruption and misconduct remain their “mantra”… insofar as they may or may not have one… It's that time again, I stop writing to quickly close my windows or I won't get through the night with their filthy smoke that they fan up again in the dark... But tomorrow everything will go back to normal with the "amazing smile"... .
Some time ago I asked the Longfonds (formerly Asthma Fund) whether face masks work against particulate matter.
I got the following answer:
Thank you very much for your response. I can imagine that you are looking for ways to breathe as little polluted air as possible.
We have the following information regarding the effect of face masks: see website: https://valkenburgerstraat.wordpress.com/2016/12/21/mondmasker-tegen-fijnstof-is-zinloos/. :
“By Health and Science, Marleen Finoulst
Dust masks or face masks can offer good protection against fine dust, as we read on various websites that offer these masks for sale. That is not true.
The sale of mouth masks is on the rise. Wearing a face mask is already well established in heavily polluted Asian cities and we are also trying to make it a trend(1). The purpose of such a mask is to filter heavily polluted air, so that small floating dust particles are not inhaled.
Particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 2,5 micrometers is called PM2,5. It can penetrate deep into the lungs, which is why this particulate matter has the greatest impact on health in the long term. Exposure to PM2,5 is associated with a greater risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, lung cancer, developmental disorders in children and stunted embryonic growth.
According to European research, the average life expectancy in our country decreases by an average of 13 months as a result of exposure to particulate matter. In cities such as Antwerp, this can even take up to 2 years. The impact is less significant in rural areas.
Particulate matter inspires fear, and a mouth mask, whether or not equipped with an extra dust filter, already gives the impression that people inhale less particulate matter. Some manufacturers even claim that their masks filter between 94 to 99% of all particulate matter.
How should we interpret this?
Face masks are tested in laboratory conditions and they do indeed stop at least 94% of fine dust larger than 0,3 microns. In a laboratory test, such a mask fits perfectly, while that is unfortunately impossible in real conditions. A mouth mask never fits perfectly on the face (vacuum), there are always 'leaks' where air slips between the mask and the head and is inhaled unfiltered. In fact, air preferentially passes through these leaks, because that is the path of least resistance. Anyone who wears a mouth mask therefore mainly breathes in the air through the mask. As a result, the filter function of the mouth mask drops drastically compared to the masks in lab tests. In addition, harmful gases, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, simply pass through the filter.
In Asia, the impact of wearing a face mask on heart patients in Beijing was tested in real situations and the results were very questionable. The wearers did feel better subjectively: they were less worried, but the effect on health was minimal.
Conclusion
Wearing a mouth mask in highly polluted air, with the aim of breathing in less particulate matter, makes little sense. Such a mask never has a vacuum on your face, so that a lot of polluted air slips between the head and the mask.
If you still want to purchase a face mask, we have the following information: there are dust masks or 'respiratory protection filters' that offer protection against dangerous and slightly toxic dust particles. We cannot say whether these also work sufficiently against serious air pollution. We have no further product information about this. The dust masks are available from both 3M and Dräger http://solutions.3mnederland.nl/wps/portal/3M/nl_NL/Products2/ProdServ/ , http://www.draeger.nl/NL/nl/
I hope to have informed you sufficiently.
Do you have any questions? Then call us. The Longfonds Advice Line is available on working days from 09.00:17.00 to 0900:2272596: 0,50 XNUMX (€ XNUMX per call).
Yours faithfully,
Dorian Vredenberg