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Post by sandy07 on Sept 3, 2014 0:07:48 GMT -5
Indoor air pollution from burning fuels such as wood to heat or light homes or cook is putting nearly three billion people worldwide at risk of ill health and early death, new research suggests.
It’s estimated that a third of the world’s population uses plant-based fuels such as wood or charcoal, often in an open fire or simple stove that can release many tiny particles that can get deep into the lungs, causing irritation.
In Tuesday’s Lancet Respiratory Medicine Commission, researchers examined the evidence on the effects of those kinds of household air pollution.
Professors Stephen Gordon from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the U.K. and William Martin from Ohio State University and their team conclude that an estimated 600 million to 800 million families worldwide are at increased risk of illnesses such as respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder asthma and lung cancer.
"Women and children are particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of pollution and are exposed to the highest concentrations. Interventions should target these high-risk groups and be sufficient quality to make the air clean," the authors conclude.
Clean cooking technologies, such as advanced cook stoves and solar powered systems, exist. But they need to be affordable, efficient and long lasting to replace traditional methods, Gordon said in a journal release.
Estimates suggest that household air pollution killed up to four million people in 2010. While overall rates of exposure have been declining slowly, population growth means the number of people exposed has been steady at around 2.8 billion people worldwide, the researchers said.
In a journal comment on the series, Lancet editors said they hope the content "will provide the impetus to drive change and tackle what is a preventable, but devastating, burden on the health of the world’s population, not least in terms of the morbidity and mortality associated with acute and chronic respiratory diseases." .. .
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Post by Deborah on Sept 3, 2014 1:07:15 GMT -5
Very interesting - thanks for posting, Sandy! Now if I could only get my neighbours to burn wood properly in their stove, I would be a much happier breather.
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Post by David on Sept 3, 2014 10:15:56 GMT -5
Thank Heavens I live in Florida. My neighbours have a fireplace and it bothers me when they use it. Luckily for me they only use it a few times during the winter.
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Post by barb7330 on Sept 3, 2014 10:18:01 GMT -5
kaffeetrinker_2[1] all. Thanks for info Sandy. Know what you mean Deborah about neighbours burning wood. We had a wood stove up till 2 years ago. We got rid of it and put in propane or I'm sure I would be a lot worse off. Now if I could talk hubby into throwing bloomin cigarettes away I'd be happy. Even though he smokes outside. He smells when he comes in...
th_Godcloud th_haveagr8daybutterflylady
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Post by David on Sept 4, 2014 11:08:07 GMT -5
Here is some more on the subject. Indoor Air Pollution Affects Billions, But There's No Easy Solution Written by BEN RICHMOND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR September 4, 2014 The World Health Organization estimates that 4.3 million die each year from being exposed to household air pollution, which comes from sources like cooking with solid fuels over an open flame or using a simple stove. As, by definition, the source is domestic, it affects women and children disproportionally. It's easy to overlook here in the United States or in other wealthy countries, where the pollution caused by the way we light and heat our homes and cook our food is well out of sight for most of us. But one third of the world's population is relying on burning plants or coal in order to eat, which introduces fine particulates into the air as well as carbon monoxide. Coal is big in China, and its indoor use has been found responsible for 420,000 deaths each year; wood and charcoal are more common in Africa and India; animal dung is used in pastoralist communities in high altitudes like Nepal and Afghanistan and also in savannas where wood is hard to come by, like Kenya and Ethiopia. Thanks mostly to more efficient stoves, overall rates of exposure to household air pollution has declined in recent years, but according to a study just published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the growing world population means that the number of people exposed remains stuck at 2.8 billion. An estimated 600-800 million households are at increased risk of illnesses such as respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, COPD, asthma, and lung cancer. Read more: motherboard.vice.com/read/indoor-air-pollution-affects-billions-but-theres-no-easy-solution
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Post by judi on Sept 4, 2014 13:55:41 GMT -5
I really suffer from smoke, I can sometimes feel the sharp little particulates in my airways. I moved to my current,urban apartment partially because there weren't many houses too close and I could avoid the wood stoves. To my dismay I learned that the beautiful old church across the street burns a dirty oil furnace and I am trying to move again. :-(
I'm probably a little hypersensitive but I don't think its good for anyone.
judi
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Post by Darcy on Sept 7, 2014 5:20:00 GMT -5
I used to camp extensively in the forests of western Alberta and of course I would always have my fire pit burning. I loved the smell of smoke and never made much of an effort to get away from it. Now I live in a house that is terrible for a fine particulate constantly circulating, it kind of looks like fine dryer lint. I cannot afford to move, the landlord actually charges me less than what subsidized housing would be. But at what price in the long run?
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Post by hugahusky on Sept 7, 2014 5:31:10 GMT -5
Darcy, if I was in that situation, I would be moving one way or another. My problems were caused by a laser printer when they first came on market. Through the years my condition has steadily worsened to the point that I cannot be near a photocopier of printer. My lungs burn. This is the result of not being exposed to an environment like this on a regular basis. So I can imagine what would happen on a daily basis.
Please for your own welfare, move to a better environment.
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Post by Deborah on Sept 7, 2014 9:42:12 GMT -5
Darcy - I agree wiith Hugahusky. In the short term, is there any way you can buy some kind off filtering machine to get some of the lint out of the air? I have a whirlpool air purifer bought at Canadian Tire. No ozone, and it does a great job of getting some of the fine dust and hair (from the cats) out of the air. I changed the filter yesterday and it was just amazing how much stuff it picked up.
Just a thought. Glad to hear that the doc found no infection, by the way.
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Post by Darcy on Sept 7, 2014 23:02:36 GMT -5
hugahusky, thank you for your concern. We would move in an instant if we could find some place with rent as cheap as it is now and utilities are included. My wife is slowly working less & less too, so even less income for rent. But it would do no harm to see what is available, who knows we could find something even better.
Deborah, we have 2 air filters running but they barely make a noticeable change. We thought about a dust burner but it would be way too noisy next to our bedroom. I guess we need bigger air filters for now and perhaps a better quality filter on the furnace.
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Post by judi on Sept 8, 2014 0:43:16 GMT -5
Do you have air purifiers with hepa filters? I have 2 inexpensive Holmes and am planning to get a Honeywell which also doesn't cost much. They really soak you on the filter replacement cost but they last a few months and for me its worth it. I vacuum a lot and try to make where I sleep as clean as I can, it helps. If you have clutter in your bedroom try to get rid of it. I shut off the vent to my bedroom but that might be hard in Canada. Can you cover it with something to help filter?
I can see fine particulates too. I am actually not sure if the church burns oil or coal but its nasty. They have a preschool and have started using the furnace at night so the old brick building won't be too chilly in the morning and its horrible. Even before smell it I can tell they have fired it up because my sinus' hurt and my lymph nodes swell. I had to increase my Symbicort dose almost immediately because I could not breath. I have wondered if a humidifier would help, maybe the moisture would condense on the dust and make it fall to the floor? I've been running around misting trying to accomplish the same thing. :-D
Good luck, moving is a nightmare for me too. Its hard to tell what goes on in neighborhoods until you actually live there and I'm hoping I don't end up with something just as bad.
judi
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Post by Darcy on Sept 9, 2014 10:37:29 GMT -5
Thanks for the info Judi, both filters are the hepa type but they are old and running poorly. My vacuum also has a hepa filter. The bedroom furnace vent is closed which does help, I also have some filters that go into the vents but they clog quickly even after the furnace ducts were cleaned professionally. A humidifier would help the dust but the humidity also makes it difficult to breathe.
I think my next step is to purchase a large volume room sized cleaner when I can afford it.
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