scienceillustrated.com.au | 43provoke immune responses similar to
those which cause Alzheimer’s and
dementia in people.CLIMATE AGGRAVATES SMOG
The toxic fog is not only a threat to
people in China. Today, air pollution is one
of the 10 leading causes of early death
in the EU – only out distanced by typical
lifestyle diseases such as elevated
blood pressure, obesity, and adverse
reactions due to smoking. British scientists
also indicate that many people with fragile
lungs are held hostages by air pollution. They
neither can nor dare to venture outside, when
particle values are too high. Although they may
not die as a result of smog, pollution reduces
their quality of life markedly.
However, the emissions that cause smog
do not only harm our health, they also interfere
with the world climate, altering precipitation
and temperatures. The extremely high
pollution rates in South East Asia weaken the
vital monsoon, because pollution particles
interfere with the process, by which humidity
produces rain drops.
The effect is also reversed. In 2017,
scientists showed that climate change
contributes to aggravating China’s smog
problems, when areas with toxic fog are more
often and for longer periods of time held in
place over the nation.
The reason is to be found far to the north,
where sea ice is melting, affecting the weather
systems of the more temperate regions of the
world. Climate researchers have both
predicted and observed how the Arctic is
warming more than twice as fast as the rest of
the world – and faster in the winter than in the
summer. The phenomenon is known as Arctic
reinforcement. During the winter,
temperatures are now typically 5-10 degrees
C higher in the North Pole region than 50 years
ago. Instead of -40 degrees, the temperature200
nanometres. Smog particles
of this size can travel through
our nervous systems,
harming our brains.EMBRYO MALFORMATION
Mothers living in badly polluted areas
often have children with low birth
weights and underdeveloped heads.DELAYED MENTAL DEVELOPMENT
According to a study, school children
from an area with bad air pollution
showed delayed mental development.UNDERDEVELOPED LUNG FUNCTION
According to a study, young people in an
area with bad PM pollution suffered a five
times higher risk of impaired lung function.OVERWEIGHT
Some air pollution chemicals contribute
to onset of obesity. Then, obese people
can be more sensitive to air pollution.DIABETES
Children and adults subjected to increased
air pollution are bad at producing insulin,
so they risk developing diabetes.LUNG FUNCTION LOSS
PM pollution blocks the lungs' fine
alveoli, making it difficult to breathe and
reducing physical activity.ARTERIOSCLEROSIS AND BLOOD CLOTS
Scientists have linked traffic density in
residential areas with the prevalence of
arteriosclerosis and blood clots.LUNG CANCER
When the concentration of particles
increases by 5 microgrammes/m^3 of air,
the risk of lung cancer increases by 18 %.ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA
The result of a study from 2017 indicates
that air pollution is responsible for 21 %
of all dementia cases worldwide.SMOG MASKS RELIEVE
THE LUNGS
In Beijing, a smog mask is part of
everyday life, and for a good reason.
Even an ordinary scarf placed in
front of the mouth reduces the
number of particles inhaled by 28 %.
Masks designed for cyclists remove
55-85 % of all particles larger than
0.3 micrometers, but they do not
keep gases out. Masks designed for
working in badly polluted
environments block out more than
95% of particle pollution.Smog injures and kills
When SO 2 or sulphur dioxide
escapes into the atmosphere,
it is converted into sulphate
particles (a type of PM
pollution). Sulphur also
causes acid rain.
SO 2
Smog particles are so tiny
that they can enter into the
blood stream.
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