Toxic air exposure triggers spurt in lung ailment cases

KOLKATA: Breathing heavily polluted air round the clock for 35 consecutive days has left Kolkatans more prone to a range of illnesses, including asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis and nervous system disorders apart from chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) in individuals, even those without a history of these diseases. Particulate matter infiltrating the lungs could also cause cardiac ailments, warned experts.

Since the Kali Puja day on November 5, the air quality index (AQI) recorded at the monitoring station at the Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) campus, never fell below 250.

But this is only the beginning. With two more months to go before winter abates and pollutants in the air start to dissipate better as the weather warms up, the average Kolkatan is poised to end up breathing the carcinogenic air for almost 100 days this season.

On Monday, the city’s average PM 2.5 count touched 412—equivalent to smoking 18 cigarettes, say experts, while the AQI touched 428, which is the highest recorded in the past two months. Since November, the average daily AQI recorded at RBU has been 412, which falls in the ‘severe’ category.

The high count of PM 2.5 — the smallest pollutant that can infiltrate the lungs without resistance — over the past five weeks has already led to a spurt in number of lung diseases, say doctors. Unlike past years when the AQI would spike during Kali Puja-Diwali and then dip, it has refused to budge and remained high this year.

“This continued period of high pollution could lead to obstructive lung ailments, cerebral stroke and aggravate existing cardiac conditions,” says consultant Arindam Biswas. “So far, short spells of pollution aggravated existing lung ailments. But this uninterrupted spell is worrying. Asthma, bronchitis and COPD are on the rise. We will probably feel the impact within the next couple of years but this year the number of new patients has shot up which points to this increased pollution level. Also, recurrent attacks of rhinitis or sneezing allergy have been very common this season,” said Biswas.

Children face allergy attacks

Exposure to unrelenting pollution induces and aggravates cardio-vascular diseases. “PM 2.5 can’t be resisted and finds an easy passage into the lungs, which affects the heart too. While lung ailments are triggered more quickly, it takes a longer exposure to pollution to trigger a cardiac ailment. But this year, we are probably heading towards that,” said AMRI Hospital consultant Debashish Saha.

Cardiac surgeon Kunal Sarkar agrees. “While there is nothing yet to establish a direct link between pollution and heart ailments, the former does cause inflammatory lung diseases that can eventually lead to cardiac ailments. The city’s PM 2.5 count makes the air akin to smoking more than 15 cigarettes a day, which is bad enough for the heart,” said Sarkar.

Recurrent attacks of allergy have plagued more children and youngsters this winter, according to paediatrician Santanu Ray. “Children receive the first blast of polluted air while going to school early in the morning. It has not only led to more frequent lung diseases but also allergic cough and sneezing. In the long-run, these could turn chronic and turn into a more serious and irreversible ailment,” said Ray.