Haze exposure linked to respiratory issues

KLANG: Studies have suggested an increased risk of contracting chronic diseases such as lung cancer due to constant exposure to haze, which has also been linked to worsening asthma problems and other respiratory-related symptoms.

A study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that the seasonal transboundary haze, which affects Malaysia from Indonesia, contains high concentrations of fine particulate matter.

“A vast majority of the particles are less than 2.5 microns in size (PM2.5), and can therefore easily be suspended in wind currents for long periods of time, and are also sufficiently small to penetrate deep into the human respiratory tract,” said the study.

It was also established that people at greater risk of respiratory diseases were the very young and the elderly, as well as those living in urban environments and working outdoors.

A Malaysian study in the journal Lung Cancer found an increased diagnosis and presentation of lung cancer during the haze seasons compared to non-haze seasons.

The study based on lung cancer cases diagnosed in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Medical Centre from 2010 to 2015 found that the haze likely exacerbated respiratory symptoms, leading to higher and earlier detection of lung cancers.

The study did not make a causeand-effect link between lung cancer and the haze, but added that ambient air pollutants have been reported to be associated with lung cancer incidence and mortality.

According to consultant respiratory physician Dr Norhaya Mohd Razali, people with continuous exposure to haze over a few years were at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular effects, such as heart attacks, reduced lung development as well as the development of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma in children.

“People with underlying lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may get an exacerbation of the condition,” she said.

Short-term haze exposure of merely one to three days, said Dr Norhaya, might even cause eye irritation, conjunctivitis, stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, headaches and dizziness.

On Friday, the Health Ministry issued a statement that in Sarawak, where the API was consistently above the hazardous level of 300 in some areas – and even shot up to over 400 in Sri Aman at one point – there was a 18.9% increase in asthma cases from 258 to 307 between Sept 8 and 14.

Continuous exposure to haze over a few years were at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular effects.

Dr Norhaya Mohd Razali