During the severe smog problem in Chiang Mai Province, it is believed that very few people have not heard of the term “PM2.5.” However, not everyone who has heard of it truly understands what this tiny PM2.5 dust is and how much harm it can cause to our bodies and our loved ones.
Why are so many agencies campaigning for the public to refrain from outdoor activities and to wear masks to protect against this PM2.5?
Some may dismissively think that it’s just dust, so why be so afraid?
Today, the doctor will reveal that this small dust known as “PM2.5” is indeed a major culprit in harming people’s hearts (and blood vessels) frequently!
PM2.5 refers to dust particles smaller than 2.5 microns
How small is it? About 1/25th the diameter of a human hair
The size is so small that our nasal hair, which normally acts as a filter, cannot trap it. PM2.5 can therefore float with the air we breathe into the lung’s air sacs and permeate through the lung walls into the bloodstream, increasing the level of free radicals and even inducing “inflammation throughout the body.”
Additionally, these small dust particles can carry other substances into our lungs, such as cadmium, mercury, heavy metals, and other carcinogenic substances. It is no surprise that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies PM2.5 in Group 1 carcinogens.
Every 22 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 has long-term health effects equivalent to smoking one cigarette. Simply put, on days when the PM2.5 level reaches 440 μg/m3, it equates to each individual there smoking 20 cigarettes.
Now let’s continue to see how PM2.5 can harm the heart (and blood vessels)
- Increases the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases
Research shows that exposure to PM2.5, even for just a short time of 2-3 days, increases the risk of heart and blood vessel diseases by 1-3%. If exposed for many years, the risk increases by up to 10%.
Research in the United States, studying 83,378 people over nearly 20 years, found that the risk of death from heart and blood vessel diseases increases by 10% for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in PM2.5.
- Leads to arrhythmia
- Induces atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes, which are key factors increasing the risk of heart vessel embolism and acute myocardial ischemia
See? Although tiny, PM2.5 can be deadly if we inhale a large amount into our bodies.
It doesn’t just affect the lungs and heart; it can harm our brain too…
Neurological and Brain Disease Center Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai
Reference:
Rajagopalan et al. Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2018, 72(17)
