Breathing fine dust is dangerous - with long-term health consequences that can plague those affected for a long time. Studies now reveal how particulate matter can lead to lung cancer and dementia. Is it time for stricter limits - in the interest of health and the environment?
It has long been no surprise that air pollution has a negative impact on human health. Cars with their exhaust fumes and tyre wear, power plants and even heating systems are responsible for fine dust in the air, one of the most dangerous suspended dusts. This is how fine particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) end up in the respiratory tract and cause lasting damage to the lungs. It is well known that respiratory diseases and circulatory problems often follow. However, the cause-and-effect relationship between prolonged exposure to bad air and some specific diseases is unclear. What is the underlying mechanism? And how harmful is really the inhalation of air polluting exhaust gases and pollutants? Recent studies claim to have discovered just that.
According to a recent study involving scientists from around the world, air pollution from particulate matter increases the risk of lung cancer. This is the result of analyses of data on more than 32,000 people in England, South Korea, Taiwan and Canada. The researchers found that an increased concentration of fine dust particles (PM 2.5) in the ambient air was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in the study participants - who already had a gene mutation associated with cancer. According to the study, particulate matter is not the cause of mutations in tissue, but rather triggers inflammatory processes that promote the development of malignant tumours through existing mutations - even in non-smokers. According to the study, exposure to particulate matter over three years could be sufficient to increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
But the brain, and especially its cognitive centre, also suffers greatly from environmental pollution - with long-term consequences for thinking, language and motor skills, for example. As a study from Great Britain makes clear, fine dust pollution - in addition to respiratory and circulatory diseases - also increases the risk of dementia. By damaging the blood-brain barrier and promoting inflammatory reactions in the brain, it can even lead to the death of nerve cells. According to the research report, even a small increase in particulate matter levels, including particle concentrations well below the limits in force in the EU, could lead to neurodegenerative diseases. That particulate matter actually contributes to dementia, however, is so far only a well-founded suspicion. The study shows, however, how this pollutant is already a cause for concern below current limits.
A similar conclusion to the one drawn in the study on the connection between particulate matter and cancer. Here, too, the researchers emphasised the urgency of reducing air pollution worldwide, also through political measures. In scientific circles, there are increasing calls for the introduction of stricter limits for particulate matter. This - explains Petros Christopoulos, a specialist in internal medicine, haematology and oncology at Heidelberg University Hospital - would make it possible to minimise the harmful effect of air pollution on health. And thus prevent thousands of illnesses caused by bad air every year worldwide.
Can the enactment of stricter regulations to reduce air pollution no longer be postponed? Will policymakers resort more often to strict traffic regulations such as low-emission zones and driving bans to counter air pollution factors more effectively? After all, any positive impact on human health would be accompanied by significant environmental benefits - certainly an important effect in the context of the fight against climate change.