Possibility of rise in unhealthy air quality for two days: CEA

According to data on Airvisual.com, Colombo might experience a condition of another unhealthy air quality situation on November 13 and 14, CEA Deputy Director of Laboratory Services Kamal Priyantha said.

Colombo city had been the worst affected area due to a hike in Air Quality Index (AQI). According to the US Embassy’s air quality monitor in Colombo, there had been a rise in AQI on November 5 and 6.

“A similar condition would be repeated in the air quality depending on the weather patterns on November 13 and 14,” the CEA Deputy Director told a media conference at Health promotion Bureau in Colombo.

Mr. Priyantha also said that burning incense sticks, mosquito coils and cooking indoors can also contribute to air pollution in general.

At the media conference held with representatives of Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) and the Health Ministry, consultant community physician and HPB director, Dr. R.P. Palitha Karunaprema, cautioned air pollution as a silent killer and stressed the need to mitigate and eradicate air pollution.

Health Ministry’s Non Communicable Diseases Unit Director, Dr. Thilak Siriwardana, stated that some human actions led to air pollution apart from the changes in weather conditions. He made it a point that longterm programs are necessary to make people aware of this issue to a greater extent.

“What is mostly needed is an attitudinal change in people when it comes to environmental issues” Health Ministry’s Consultant Community physician Dr. Inoka Suraweera elaborated on both short –term as well as long term health risks due to this rise in AQI. Around 12.6 million die every year due to air pollution of which 3.8 are from the South East Asian region. Dr. Suraweera also identified the pregnant women, children people working in outdoors and those who already suffer from respiratory diseases as the most vulnerable groups who could be affected adversely. She mentioned that a research carried out in the United States has shown that air pollution has an effect on autism as well.