Haze in Singapore
health effects of the haze?
2. What are some possible
Health effects of the haze can range from mild symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sneezing, eye irritation, dry throat and dry cough to more severe problems such as asthma, chronic lung disease, chronic sinusitis, and bronchitis. For people experiencing more severe symptoms, they are recommended to not engage in outdoor sporting activities if the PSI is above 100. Also, those under medications or medical treatments are advised to take their medication regularly.
How does the haze affect us?
1. Why does it affect us?
The haze affects our health as the dust particles would cause irritation to our nose, throat, airways, skin and eyes. The severity of the health effects depends on the severity of the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI). The ability to tolerate the air pollution differs from person to person, but the haze generally does not pose danger to the health of the general population.
Haze related health problems can generally be treated easily by applying normal saline eye drops for eye irritation, and taking cold tablets or cough mixture for dry cough, dry throat, runny nose and sneezing. However, for those whose symptoms do not improve or have worsened, they should take a trip down to see a general practitioner or to a government polyclinic.In case of breathlessness or asthma, the public should seek treatment from their general practitioners or government polyclinics. For most, it is not necessary to visit the Accidents & Emergencies clinics of hospitals.
This is as most polyclinics and general practitioners are already equipped to treat those suffering from more severe symptoms. The polyclinic would also make arrangements for an ambulance to send the patient to the hospital if necessary. The treatments at government polyclinics are also heavily subsidised and additional financial assistance can be requested for those who are less able to afford medical treatments. This is to ensure everyone is able to receive treatment no matter of their ability to pay.
3. how can these
symptoms be treated?
Fine particles (pm 2.5) FAQ
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that is a concern for people's health when levels in air are high. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. Outdoor PM2.5 levels are most likely to be elevated on days with little or no wind or air mixing. The New York State Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC) alert the public by issuing a PM2.5 Health Advisory when PM2.5 concentrations in outdoor air are expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The term fine particles, or particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), refers to tiny particles or droplets in the air that are two and one half microns or less in width. Like inches, meters and miles, a micron is a unit of measurement for distance. There are about 25,000 microns in an inch. The widths of the larger particles in the PM2.5 size range would be about thirty times smaller than that of a human hair. The smaller particles are so small that several thousand of them could fit on the period at the end of this sentence.
1. What is pm 2.5?
3. where does pm2.5 come from?
PM 2.5 comes from two sources, outdoor and indoors.
Outdoor sources include:
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Vehicle exhaust
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Off-road vehicle exhaust (e.g. construction equipment, etc)
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Operations involving burning fuels like wood and coalnatural sources i.e. forest and grass fires
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Volcanic eruptions
Indoor sources include:
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Tobacco smoke
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Cooking
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Burning candles or oil lamps
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Bperating fireplaces
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Fuel-burning space heaters (e.g.. kerosene heaters)
2. how does pm2.5 affect my health?
Due to their small size, the particles are able to travel into the human lungs, which may affect lung function and also worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease.Several short-term health effects include eye and nose irritation, coughing, runny nose and shortness of breath. Long term exposure to fine particulate matter may also cause a chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function and increased mortality from lung cancer and heart disease.
4. is there an air
quality standard
for pm2.5 in
outdoor air?
Yes! The short-term standard (24-hour or daily average) is 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air (35 µg/m3) and the long-term standard (annual average) is 15 micrograms per cubic meter of air, or 15 µg/m3. (A million micrograms make up a gram, so you can see how detailed this measurement is!)
(A N95 mask used during the haze)
When outdoor levels of PM2.5 are elevated, going indoors may reduce your exposure, although some outdoor particles will come indoors. However, if there are significant indoor sources of PM2.5, levels inside may be higher than outside. Some ways to reduce exposure are to limit indoor and outdoor activities that produce fine particles (for example, burning candles indoors or open burning outdoors) and avoid strenuous activity in areas where fine particle levels are high.
6. are there ways to reduce my
e x p o s u r e t o p m 2.5?
5. how will i know
when pm2.5 levels are or
will be elevated outside?
Outdoor levels of fine particles usually increase when the air is stagnant or when winds bring polluted air from other areas. As these levels increase, the air appears hazy and visibility will be reduced, like when humidity is high or when there is fog.
Photo credit: Team member Claudia Aw
