What is PM fine dust? The size of the fine dust? How to protect yourself against the harmful effects of fine dust PM

PM is one of the causes of air pollution, which has a negative impact on human health. Let’s find out what PM fine dust is, what types of fine dust are there and how to protect yourself against the harmful effects of PM fine dust!

What is PM fine dust?

According to the World Health Organization WHO reports that more than 92% of the population is living in polluted air and Vietnam is one of the countries with high alarm levels. Although agencies and organizations have tried to implement environmental protection policies, air pollution continues to increase. In particular, fine dust and ultra-fine dust are identified as one of the pollutant agents that have a great impact on human health.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, fine dust or fine dust PM (Particulate Matter) are inorganic or organic molecules suspended in the air, usually originating mainly from vehicle smoke or through industrial combustion of organic fuels .

The size of fine dust is very diverse, difficult to see clearly with the naked eye and is measured in µm (micrometer).

Common types of fine and superfine dust

Fine dust PM1.0

PM1.0 fine dust is less than 1 μm in size (only 1 50th of the width of a human hair). This dust can pass through the dust barrier of the respiratory system, block the oxygen exchange hole in the alveoli and negatively affect the nervous system and DNA structure of humans.

Fine dust PM2.5

PM2.5 fine dust has a size of 1.0 – 2.5 µm (only 1/20th of the width of a human hair), capable of penetrating the bloodstream through breathing.

This fine dust is formed from nitrogen, carbon and other metal compounds. The air will be blurred like a fog, reducing visibility as the concentration of dust in the air increases.

Fine dust PM10

PM10 fine dust has a size of 2.5 – 10µm (only 1 fifth of the width of a human hair). This dust can be formed from natural phenomena such as wildfires, volcanic smoke, tornadoes, and sandstorms. They can also be waste products of pollen, fungal spores, and insect wastewater.

Superfine dust PM0.01, PM0.3, PM0.1

+ Super fine dust PM0.01 with particle size of only 0.01 micrometer.

+ PM0.3 ultra-fine dust with a particle size of only 0.3 micrometers.

+ PM0.1 ultra-fine dust with a particle size of only 0.1 micrometer. This is the type of dust that often appears in our lives, especially in cities with heavy traffic and dust from factories. PM0.1 ultrafine dust has a size of 0.1 micrometers and is hardly visible to the naked eye. If pollen particles with a size of 10 – 30 micrometers are difficult to see, then PM0.1 ultrafine dust particles or viruses, bacteria with smaller sizes cannot be seen with the naked eye.

Classification of fine dust

PM2.5 fine dust will have a size of 1.0 – 2.5 micrometers, PM0.01 superfine dust will have a dust particle size of 0.01 micrometers. Thus, the smaller the fine dust, the harder it will be to see with the naked eye, and if inhaled, it will cause many unpredictable harms.

The following is the order of fine and superfine dust by size from large to small: PM10 => PM2.5 => PM1.0 => PM0.3 => PM0.1=> PM0.01

So to be able to limit the inhalation of these fine dust, you can buy yourself air purifiers to help bring the atmosphere around you. The more quality the air purifiers are, the better they can filter out ultra-fine dust such as PM0.3, PM0.01.

Causes of fine dust PM

• Climate change, natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires, …
• Emissions come from vehicles: motorbikes, cars, trains,… and especially airplanes.
• Burning straw, causing a big fire.
• Types of honeycomb charcoal stoves.
• Emissions of industrial zones, factories and enterprises.
• Dust from construction sites.

Health effects of fine and ultrafine dust

Allergy

At a mild level, PM2.5 dust carries bacteria from the outside, clinging to the surface of the body and causing itching, discomfort and even allergies. PM dust is also the main cause of eye pain, rhinitis and ENT disease.

Lung disease

The blood contains hemoglobin, which combines with oxygen to carry oxygen to the cells. When dust particles enter the bloodstream, combining with CO, SO2, NO2 gas prevents hemoglobin from combining with oxygen, which irritates the nose, throat, and eyes, leading to coughing, sneezing, … and diseases of the heart. respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis, impaired lung function, asthma and even lung cancer.

Fine dust will enter the human respiratory tract through inhalation. They will stick to the surface of the lungs and blood sugar, in mild cases, they will have hoarseness, sneezing, difficulty breathing.

People who breathe in heavy PM2.5 and PM10 dust can suffer from respiratory-related diseases such as chronic bronchitis, impaired lung function, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and more seriously, lung cancer. and death.

Cardiovascular disease

The risk of cardiovascular diseases due to fine dust is very high. Fine dust also affects the nervous system from attacking the alveoli, breaking through the gas barrier to enter the circulatory system and causing disease.

When exposed to fine dust, the clogged blood vessels can suddenly burst, creating a blockage, causing a very dangerous heart attack.

Nervous disorders

Some studies have shown that fine dust can also be harmful and cause neurological disorders. When there is an acute infection, it is possible to develop Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. In addition, long-term exposure can lead to neurodegeneration or increase the likelihood of stroke.

Reproductive disorders

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about the effects of fine dust and air pollution during pregnancy and the fetus. Many opinions have shown that these dust particles can cause premature birth, low birth weight infants, fetal malformations and infant mortality.

Weakened immune system

Breathing polluted air disrupts the immune systems in young children and the elderly, making them less able to fight off illnesses like flu, diarrhea, acute respiratory infections or pneumonia, etc. was reduced.

Memory decline

Air pollution can affect brain function, increase the risk of stroke, cause depression and dementia. From there, people can experience accelerated cognitive decline when exposed to long-term polluted air.

Causes of cancer

The human body will produce free radicals when exposed to dust over a period of time. These free radicals will attack cells and the most important molecules of the body such as DNA, causing health hazards.

Cancerous tumors can appear due to mutated cells, the risk of cancer increases with long-term exposure to polluted air full of fine dust.

Increased mortality

Countries around the world have conducted studies showing that fine dust causes potential impacts on human health, especially increasing mortality to high levels.

The following subjects have high mortality rates from long-term exposure to fine dust, including diabetics, people with a history of myocardial infarction, the elderly, and people of low socioeconomic status.

Adverse effects on children’s health

Young children can also be victims of fine dust. When the mother is regularly exposed to fine dust during pregnancy, it can also affect the health of the fetus. As a result, infants may experience conditions such as low birth weight, autism, or nervous breakdowns.

How to prevent the harmful effects of fine dust PM

Change your lifestyle

Keep the house clean, regularly vacuum and remove unnecessary items. Periodically clean household appliances such as electric fans, air conditioners and other devices.

These items, after a long period of use, often collect a lot of dirt, affecting the air quality and indoor temperature. If not cleaned in time, it will become a bacterial reservoir containing many allergens, affecting health.

In addition, it is recommended to limit movement in areas with a lot of dust and environmental pollution, and at the same time clean personal hygiene after returning home. Always wear a mask with plenty of water to avoid dehydration and clear your throat.

Use a dedicated mask

You should wear a mask when going out, preferably a specialized mask to prevent the harmful effects of superfine dust, along with limiting circulation at times of crowded roads, avoiding entering polluted areas.

You should choose to buy masks at drugstores or large and reputable supermarkets. Along with that is to learn carefully the information to avoid buying fake goods, imitation goods of poor quality.

You can find N95 masks, antibacterial cloth masks, 3M masks and medical masks of 3 layers or more.

Use equipment capable of filtering fine dust

We often mistakenly think that only dust on the street. In a closed house, the surrounding curtains cannot let dust in.

However, with the naked eye we cannot see the microscopic dust particles and bacteria in the air. Even if it is a discreet place like a bedroom, when you use a broom, dust still appears a lot.

Therefore, you can invest in devices capable of filtering fine dust in the house such as air conditioners and air purifiers to limit dust in the family.

Hopefully, the above information will help you better understand PM fine dust, thereby building a scientific way of life and effective measures to prevent fine dust to protect the health of yourself and your family.