How can we escape living in pollution?

Look at the amount of trash that is washed up along this river bank in Johor. — Filepic

> Last fortnight, you talked about noise pollution and other types of pollution. What exactly is air pollution? My condo is near the highway, and hence, there is a lot of traffic. Other than noise pollution, would I also be suffering from air pollution?

Very probably, yes.

Air pollution is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a contamination of your indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that changes the atmosphere.

Outside, air pollution is mostly caused by motor vehicles in cities and industrial places.

Forest fires can also cause it, such as the recent fires in California, United States or Australia.

Naturally, where Malaysians are concerned, the haze is definitely air pollution.

Indoor air pollution can be caused by aerosols or second hand cigarette smoke.

If you heat your house in a cold country using coal or wood, that can also cause air pollution.

Toxic mold that grows in houses is a very dangerous form of air pollution.

In certain, very polluted cities, air pollution appears as smog, which is a word that comes from combining “smoke” and “fog”.

According to WHO, almost all of us in the world breathe in air that exceeds the organisation’s guideline limits.

Low and middle income countries have the worst exposure.

> What about light pollution? What does it even mean?

Light pollution is defined as the presence of excessive or unwanted artificial light.

Many of us live in cities, where the night sky is filled with artificial light, whether we like it or not.

This is called skyglow.

It drives – especially astronomers – crazy when they are trying to stargaze!

Light pollution has been gradually increasing in our world, until it is estimated that 83% of us are affected by it.

Many of us live in cities, where the skies are lit up with artificial lights. — AFP

> Is light pollution dangerous to my health?

Yes, it is.

If you are one of those people, like me, who cannot sleep unless it is totally dark, then it is likely to disrupt your sleep – which then leads to many other health problems.

Light pollution also curbs the production of melatonin – a hormone your brain produces in response to darkness – in our skin.

This can lead to an increase in hormone-related cancers such as prostate cancer and breast cancer.

At the same time, it also disrupts animals and ecosystems.

> What about litter?

There are many countries that are filled with litter everywhere.

Litter is also considered pollution.

Litter refers to waste that has been thrown away in an unsuitable location or manner.

Sometimes, the litter is dangerous, such as batteries, tyres, and industrial waste.

All this can leach into the ground and contaminate ground water and rivers, which then may be used in our drinking water.

Even when litter is not immediately dangerous, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria, mosquitoes and rats.

> Isn’t plastic pollution the same as litter?

Plastic pollution has gotten so bad in our modern age that it merits its own classification.

Plastic pollution has drastically worsened after World War II, because plastics are cheap to produce, with many of them being single use and disposable.

Plastic pollution is worst in developing nations where garbage disposal is inefficient or non-existent.

Unfortunately, plastic persists in the environment for hundreds of years.

A lot of plastic ends up in the ocean, where it kills marine and coastal life, including sea birds.

> But we don’t eat plastic, do we? How is it harmful to us?

That’s what you think.

It has been estimated in a study that people eat 5g of micro and nano plastics a week.

This is equivalent to the size of a credit card!

Discarded plastics break down into micro and nano particles that go into our waterways and ground.

They eventually enter our food and water so if you eat fish or vegetables that have been nourished by these plastics, it will enter your body system.

Plastics can also enter us if you drink from plastic bottles.

It is estimated that people who drink up to 2L a day from plastic bottles are taking in 90,000 plastic particles per year.

Plastic additives can disrupt our endocrine system, leading to diabetes, obesity, infertility, certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Minimising pollution is everyone's responsibility. — Freepik

> Oh dear. I never realised this! What can I do?

Do not microwave food in plastic containers.

Use china containers instead.

Try to avoid packing food in plastic.

Yes, I know the hawkers use it a lot, but you can try bringing your own container.

Filtered tap water is safer than bottled water in countries where water is safe to drink, because the filter can halve the microplastics.

You can also opt to avoid wearing synthetic fibres.

Most importantly, you need to stop using so much plastic.

Bring your own bags when you go shopping.

Recycle your plastic bags.

If you don’t do this and you think it is someone else’s problem, then it may hit you or your loved ones very badly one day.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.