Extreme air pollution hits NE China

Harbin, October 22, 2013. [Photo: Xinhua]

Heavy smog engulfed northeast China this week, forcing schools closures, and disrupting flights and highways. Visibility in the northeastern city of Harbin was severely reduced and the authorities issued alerts for thick smog or fog.

Officials indicated three major causes of the recent environmental crisis: pollution from coal-burning heating systems; farmers' burning crop stalks; and unfavorable weather.
All monitoring stations in the region reported readings above 200 for PM2.5 indicating severe pollution, eight times higher than safe levels recommended by the World Health Organization.

Harbin is famous for its ice and snow festival which attracts a large number of visitors every year, but the city's frigid winter means that heating is needed for six months of the year. Pushed by big variations in temperatures between day and night and the start of the winter heating season the coal-fueled heating systems are suspected to be trigger of this week events.

While Harbin's recent air pollution issues made the headlines worldwide this week, the situation is not isolated as many cities in Northern China rank among the most polluted in the world.
The Chinese authorities issued earlier this week an educational guide to inform the population on the health risks caused by environmental pollution and ways to minimize the exposure to airborne contaminants.

The Peking Union Medical College and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a study suggesting that outdoor and indoor air pollution are the fourth- and fifth-biggest disease-causing factors in China.

Air is one of the essential ingredients for good health and poor air quality, outdoors and indoors, can damage our health. While the outdoor pollution has global effects that affect us all, it is relatively difficult for individuals to reduce their exposure to airborne contaminates.

As indicated by numerous studies on human exposure to air pollutants, the concentrations of air pollutants may be 2 to 5 times (and up to 100 times) higher indoors than outdoors. Indoor air pollutants have been listed among the top five environmental risks to public health and during the cold season when homes, schools and offices are sealed up to conserve energy, the problem can be magnified.

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World Health Organization: “Air pollution causes lung cancer”

Image courtesy of GREENPEACE (www.greenpeace.org)

Last week, the International Agency for Research on Cancer added air pollution on the list of known carcinogens, alongside asbestos, tobacco and UV radiation. Scientifically proven by an expert panel organized by the IARC, the air pollution is now considered the most important environmental carcinogen, surpassing second-hand smoking.

While some of the airborne pollutants such as vehicle exhaust fumes were already classified as carcinogens, this is the first time when air pollution as a whole is added to the list of known carcinogens.

The new classification is the result of over 1000 studies worldwide. Analyzed by the scientists, the studies provided enough evidence that exposure to air pollutants, a complex mixture of gases and fine particulate matter, can cause lung cancer and lead to or exacerbate heart and respiratory conditions.

According to IARC, in 2010 alone over 200000 lung cancer deaths and more than 3.2 million of premature deaths were linked to air pollution.

While it is almost impossible to avoid exposure to outdoor air pollutants such as emissions from motor vehicles, industrial processes and power generation, the fact that we spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors lowers the health risks.

Common signs and symptoms of exposure to polluted air include: headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, worsening allergy and asthma symptoms, sinus congestion, cough, and sneezing, eye, nose, throat, and skin irritation, dizziness and nausea.

Understanding and controlling some of the common pollutants found indoors can help improve your well-being and reduce the risk of health concerns related to indoor air quality (IAQ).

With over 20 years of experience in air purification, Quatro Air Technologies offers efficient, cost-effective solutions to reduce your exposure to airborne pollutants. Our multi-stage air purifiers equipped with various combinations pre-filters, HEPA filters and chemical filters eliminate harmful chemicals, odors and 99.97% of airborne particles.
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Clean Air For MCS Sufferers

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Introduced by T.G. Randolph in 1954, the term "chemical sensitivity" described the inability of the adaptive mechanism of the body to handle the intake of common environmental chemicals leading to allergic reactions. The condition, rejected at that time by the majority of academic physicians, was also referred as Chemical Injury or Environmental Illness. In 1987, Mark R. Cullen introduced the term "multiple chemical sensitivity" in journals of occupational medicine starting a long-lasting debate over chemical sensitivities.

In the last decade physicians noticed an increased number of what appears to be symptoms of allergic reactions in the general population. Difficulties in breathing, rashes, congestion, nausea, rashes, and others have been linked to non-naturally occurring chemicals in the environment.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is an adverse physical reaction to low levels of many common chemicals. The National Institute of Health has defined MCS as a “chronic recurring disease caused by a person’s inability to tolerate an environmental chemical or class of foreign chemicals.”

Many MCS sufferers react to airborne chemicals such as solvents, smoke, diesel, pet fur, dander or personal care products and complain of severe sensitivity or allergic reactions when exposed to very low levels of those pollutants.

The symptoms, triggers and diagnostic uncertainties of MCS are very similar with other health conditions where the environment is the common denominator. One such example is the "sick building syndrome” (SBS) where complaints like headache, decreased impulsion and irritation of the mucous membranes appear simultaneously in several persons in a building.

While it is very difficult to pinpoint the exact cause,  a wide range of possible triggers such as improper ventilation, offgassing of chemicals from building materials and maintenance products, bad odors, infrasound or unfavorable illumination have been linked to MCS symptoms.

Many symptoms of MCS are similar to other health conditions but the most common reactions include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Disorientation
• Dizziness and Faintness
• Flu-like symptoms
• Nausea
• Irregular or Rapid Heartbeat
• Muscle and Joint Pain
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Mood Disturbances - Depression/Anxiety/Irritability
• Short-term Memory Problems
• Asthma/Breathing Problems
• Rashes

MCS reactions could be triggered by various chemicals, from perfume to vehicle exhaust, hydrocarbon based volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) being the common ingredients.
The most common chemicals linked to MCS symptoms are:

• Pesticides (DDT, chlordane, lindane and dieldrin)
• Exhaust fumes (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, benzene, formaldehyde, polycyclic hydrocarbons, suspended particles)
• Perfumes (benzaldehyde, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, camphor, ethanol, ethyl acetate, limonene, linalool, a-pinene, g-terpinene and a-terpineol)
• Paint fumes (acetone, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, benzene derivatives)
• Household Cleaning Products (diethyl phthalate, toluene, hexane, xylene)
• Personal care products (cocoamide DEA, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, acetone, benzaldehyde)
• Furniture and carpets (acetone, toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, benzene derivatives)
• Cigarette smoke (ammonia, acetaldehyde, acetone, benzene, butyraldehyde, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide and toluene)

MCS is a serious condition because of its physiological symptoms and social effects. MCS sufferers tend to become more isolated as they avoid being around people wearing perfume or deodorant, or in spaces where chemicals are used frequently for cleaning or maintenance.  People affected by MCS could lose their jobs due to their sensitivity to the chemicals in the work environment. Relationships could also be affected as the partner can’t understand or adapt to living without common chemical products.

Quatro Air AF400 Air Purifier

Because the symptoms of MCS are so diverse, there is no generic medical treatment to work on all those affected. The only thing doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists agree on is that avoiding the triggers is probably the best way to help MCS sufferers.

Using a high quality air purifier can provide significant relief by reducing the concentration of airborne chemicals or completely removing them.

In order to provide the best protection for MCS sufferers, Quatro Air Technologies (1.877.978.2876) offers a line of residential and commercial portable air purifiers combining medical-grade HEPA filters and 26 blends of chemical filtration media.

Contact one of our IAQ specialists today to find the right air purifier for you.