Community and environment as determinants of health
Ben Y.F. Fong, Martin C.S. Wong in The Routledge Handbook of Public Health and the Community, 2021
Ground-level ozone ([O3]) is produced by volatile organic compounds (VOCs, ozone precursors) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) via photochemical reaction under sunlight. It is also one of the important greenhouse gases causing global warming. The sources of VOCs are mainly from solvent-based paints, printing inks, organic solvents and petroleum products. The source of NOx is mostly from factories and fossil fuel burning. The combined effect of ozone with small air pollutants particles causing smog in sunny days. Smog reduces visibility. It is hazardous to human health as it irritates our eyes, nose and respiratory tract. It triggers an asthmatic or COPD attack and is associated with increased respiratory mortality.
Electrosmog from Communication Equipment
William J. Rea in EMF Effects from Power Sources and Electrosmog, 2018
Electrosmog (dirty electricity) is a major cause of health problems in the modern world, coming not only from fixed electrogenerating equipment and specialized fixed equipment but communication equipment. The smog affects the individual by immediately resulting in symptoms (hypersensitivity) or causing delayed disease processes in the so-called nonaware vulnerable normal individual. This dirty electricity results in depression, suicidal ideations, brain dysfunction (memory loss, loss of balance, confusion episodes), arteriosclerosis, cancer, or neurovascular degenerative disease years later. It appears that the entire population is vulnerable to high-frequency generated dirty electricity emanating from communication equipment. Some people with nutrient, enzyme, immune, or genetic weakness are more vulnerable and develop maladies earlier, due to low-frequency and in-testing EMF acting as sentinels for the production of long-term chronic diseases such as cancer, arteriosclerosis, or chronic neurovascular degenerative diseases. The environmental triggering agents, other than bacteria, viruses, or parasites, are rarely looked for. Therefore, other agents such as mold, mycotoxins, foods, chemicals (pesticides, natural gas), and EMF are downplayed or ignored as the cause or agents of ill health and disease. The total body pollutant load is ignored, when in fact it is essential to understanding the etiology and developing a treatment for the environmentally wounded individual.
Cultivation and paternalism in the service of the market
Stephan Kloos, Calum Blaikie in Asian Medical Industries, 2022
Brockington and Duffy (2010) advise caution with regard to the resolutely positive, win-win rhetoric of market-based solutions to “saving nature.” Such images of benevolence are accentuated in the case of medicinal herbs through the nobility attributed to the act of healing. Referring to the local “Min River lily” (Lilium regale E.H. Wilson, minjiang baihe岷江百合),6 a Qiang doctor illustrated perfectly how industrial solutions can “solve” industrial problems:If we make good use of local varieties and develop industries, planting in the original ecology of the “common people”, then it will benefit the people. The benefit for the country is in treating the lung diseases of many people. If our lungs are healthy, there will be more genes resisting smog, and our immunity will be improved. As a result, many medical costs will be reduced for the country, which will benefit the country. In this way, a company also develops and achieves win-win results.
Avoiding Stereotypes
Published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2019
Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud
What about my other preexisting views of China? Smog, crowds, squat toilets, shopping? The smog was not bad—maybe because we were traveling at a different time of year than our earlier trip. Our guide told us that it often was a problem and that it was common to see people in the large cities wearing masks over their noses and mouths to protect themselves from pollution. He was concerned that American tourists would avoid visiting China because of what they had heard about the smog. He talked also about the efforts the government made to clean up the air prior to the Olympics in 2008. Coming from Beijing, he was proud of his city and pointed out the impressive infrastructure that was put in place rapidly to host the Olympics. According to McMahon (2018), China’s ability to handle rapid urbanization lies in the scale and speed at which it's been able to build infrastructure: roads, high speed rail, subways, power plants, ports. He contends that few places have handled urbanization and the accompanying development as well as China.
Chinese guidelines for childhood asthma 2016: Major updates, recommendations and key regional data
Published in Journal of Asthma, 2018
Jianguo Hong, Yixiao Bao, Aihuan Chen, Changchong Li, Li Xiang, Chuanhe Liu, Zhimin Chen, Deyu Zhao, Zhou Fu, Yunxiao Shang
With the increasing industrialization and urbanization in recent years, environmental pollution is now a serious problem in China, and smog is a major cause of concern in many cities. Environmental pollution is associated with the occurrence of asthma symptoms in children (17,18). High levels of fine particles (PM2.5), NO2 and SO2 are significantly associated with decreased lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 sec [FEV1] and peak expiratory flow [PEF] rate) (19). A study conducted in Shanghai showed that high dose-dependent concentrations of black carbon (relative risk [RR] = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–1.07) and PM2.5 (RR = 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02–1.05) were significantly correlated with an increased risk of hospitalization among children with asthma after adjusting for NO2 and SO2 concentration (20). The effect of indoor environment intervention on the prevention and treatment of pediatric asthma is included as a “future research area” in the 2016 guidelines.
Impact of long-term exposure wildfire smog on respiratory health outcomes
Published in Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine, 2020
Atcharaporn Ontawong, Surasak Saokaew, Busabong Jamroendararasame, Acharaporn Duangjai
Similarly, long-term exposure to wildfire smog is linked with respiratory diseases, especially among women and children [4]. Moreover, previous studies indicated that smog exposure could induce inflammation [9,10] and lead to increased pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood serum of wildland firefighters [11]. Forest fires in Thailand annually occur during the dry season from December to April. Phayao province is one of the impact areas of wildfire events of Thailand. In addition, Pong District has the highest amount of hotspot in Phayao province (19 points from 15 points in 2017). Evidence shows an association between PM2.5 and PM10 levels and health implications in the fire season of Phayao province. During the smog period, the number of patients who are hospitalized with cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, and dermatitis in Phayao province has increased from 219 (2018) to 325 (2019) [12].
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