Lungs in a city ages faster
Young India are being exposed to such levels of pollution that they now have weak lungs, says a new study .
The study, presented at the recent national conference of chest specialists in Jaipur, tested lungs capacities the capacity and speed of breathing in oxygen and breathing out carbon diox de -of the medical staff of a hospital in the western suburbs. Most were aged below 50. Almost 40% of the 87 individuals examined, who had never smoked, had lower-than-ideal ung function or weak lungs.
“Some 30-year-olds who were studied had the lung function of a 50-year-old or older,“ said chest specialist Dr Sanjeev Mehta who conducted the study at Arogya Nidhi Hospital, Juhu. “Imagine their plight when they turn 60?“ Another study conducted in May by HEAL Foundation found a third of 3,000 schoolchildren tested across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Kolkata had reduced lung capacity .
Experts say reduced lung function could be a fallout of air pollution.
Air pollutants such as solid particulate matter (PM) that measure less than 10 micrometres and gases like sulphur and nitrogen dioxide irritate the lung tissue, and over a prolonged period, affect its function. Previous studies conducted among traffic policemen and rickshaw drivers showed poor lung function due to constant exposure to pollutants.
Chest specialist Dr Sujeet Rajan said in Mumbai people who travel by autorickshaws are the worst affected by pollution. “Buses are good because passengers are seated at a higher level. Passengers in cars and taxis can roll up their windows but there is no such mechanism in autorickshaws.“
Not surprisingly then, the Global Burden of Diseases report, brought out in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, had estimated that air pollution caused more than 6,20,000 premature deaths in India in 2010, making it the fifth leading cause of mortality .
“Air pollution results in airway disorders among people, especially children. In the next few decades, it won’t be surprising if children are born with weaker lungs,“ said Dr Ashok Mahasur, chest specialist who had done the first air pollution study in Mumbai two decades ago.
The Juhu study underlines this lung-air pollution connection. Dr Mehta said he was surprised with his findings because most of the staff members were under 50 years of age.“These are young people working in an area like Juhu that is closer to the sea. One can imagine how bad it may be in congested areas like Lalbaug,“ he said.
In Boston that has cleaner air than Mumbai, studies have shown that people living less than 1km away from the high way have reduced lung function. People living deep inside the city had better lung function, said the doctor.
Dr Mahasur, who previously headed the chest medicine department at KEM Hospital in Parel, said, “In the past, we would make distinctions about certain pockets being good and others being bad, but air pollution is no longer linked to certain pockets. Vehicular emissions, along with construction dust, are the biggest culprits here.“
In the Juhu hospital study , people underwent a spirometry test which showed that 38% had less than normal total exhaled breath capacity while 42.5% had lower total exhaled breath.
“We did another study with this group that showed that around 45% of them had allergies that they hadn’t sought treatment for,“ said Dr Mehta. The study found that none with allergies were seeking treatment as they felt it was a common cold. Considering that many with nasal allergies go on to develop asthma, the study’s findings are worrisome.
However, Dr Mahasur said the study’s findings need more exploration. “The study didn’t factor in many conditions like the socio-economic background of participants, their nutritional status as well as their exposure or ambient air pollution,“ said Dr Mahasur. He pointed out that previous studies done in India had shown ethnic and regional differences in lung function.“For instance, lung function of a north Indian is always higher than that of a south Indian and this could be because of diet or growth factors.“
