Effects of small particulate matter in the air

How many times have you noticed how clean the environment has become during the recent nationwide lockdown of the novel Corona virus pandemic? We see the bright blue sky in the morning, and at night we see the star fair with our eyes wide open in the fogless cloudless sky. There is a drastic  Effects of small particulate matter in the air.

I can breathe calmly even if it is a little bit. But this is like temporary happiness, something like a dream! City life will be as busy as ever, and with it will probably end these seemingly comfortable days.

The level of air pollution in the metros of India is skyrocketing. However, the overall picture of air pollution is almost the same not only in India but also in the developed and developing countries of the world. The deadly effects of air pollution cause great damage to the human body - it is not unknown to us.

But many are unaware that air pollution also causes considerable damage to mental health. And who knows who suffers the most from this loss? Little children. Yes, recent scientific research has come up with this thought-provoking information.

According to the World Health Organization, more than seven million people worldwide die each year from air pollution. Studies have shown that the effects of chlorofluorocarbons, ground layer ozone, carbon monoxide, gasoline, various harmful aromatic compounds, ultra-fine carbon and asbestos particles in the air cause extensive damage to various parts of our body.

Among them, important parts of the human body like lungs, eyes and skin are the main ones. As a result, terrible diseases like allergies, asthma, interstitial lung diseases and even cancer are caused. Scientists have recently discovered that air pollution damages nerve cells in the human brain, causing neurological complications such as neurocognitive disorders.

And increasing air pollution has a devastating effect on young children who feel green, tender, sensitive. University of Cincinnati scientists Dr. Cole Brockamp and Dr. Patrick Ryan have come up with this information through long research. Their research has been published in the famous science journal "Environmental Health Perspectives".

According to scientists, children's mental health can be affected by air pollution both indoors and outdoors. The unhealthy smoke of coal-kerosene-wood stoves, the unhealthy smoke of cigars-bidis-cigarettes (where children are victims of passive smoking) in the homes of economically underprivileged people degrade the mental health of children.

In addition, when children play outside, when they go to school, on the way, car dust, fumes from construction, cement, asbestos, quartz and carbon particles cause considerable damage to their lungs, skin and brain.

Studies have shown that children who are exposed to increased levels of pollution, spend more time outdoors, spend more time on the streets, and use public transportation, have different mental complications and neurological disorders.

According to statistics, mental illnesses such as mental inertia, anxiety, dementia, fatigue and suicidal tendencies are increasing at an abnormal rate among children aged 6 to 12 and adolescents aged 13 to 18.

Air pollution is an obstacle to the development of normal mental intelligence, affecting the process of 'psychomotor development' in the brain of young children.

The study highlights an important issue, such as the fact that children and adolescents in developing families do not receive adequate nutrition and nutrition due to financial hardship in developing countries, with the highest risk of deteriorating mental health due to the effects of air pollution.

In chronic malnutrition and exhaustion, air pollution can occur at an early age - a serious mental illness such as obsessive compulsive disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Now it is natural to ask the question, how does increasing air pollution cause mental health deterioration in children and adolescents?

The scientific reason for this is that a mixture of toxic gases produced by incomplete combustion of various air pollutants or air pollutants, such as dust, plastics and other wastes, and the fine particles present in the black smoke emitted from vehicles, called 'small particulate matter'. They have special features.

All of these particles are less than 2.5 microns in size and can easily enter the lungs by inhalation. Even these tiny particles penetrate the blood-brain-barrier of the brain through the bloodstream and enter the nerve cells and destroy them quickly.

This can lead to neuropathic problems, which can lead to various behavioral abnormalities, such as mental inertia, fatigue, anxiety, etc. Chronic neuropathy can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Air pollution levels in Africa, South Asia and the Indian subcontinent are rising alarmingly. Excessive movement of vehicles in different cities of India has resulted in toxic fumes emitted from them and long-term exposure to numerous particulate matter 2.5 in the air floating near construction sites of multi-storey buildings.

The concern is that their precipitation rate in the soil is very low. As a result, this polluted air is easily entering the body of children with easy breathing. In addition, the effects of air pollution on pregnant mothers are extremely harmful. Contamination caused by these small particulate matter can damage the fetus.

Physicians have observed that fine particles of 2.5 microns enter the lungs of the fetus. This can lead to death of the baby during pregnancy. Also, the effects of air pollution disrupt the growth of the fetus' brain and cause neurological complications. After birth, the child may be immature and inanimate.

Extensive public awareness is needed to prevent this air pollution. Many children around the world still struggle daily with major problems such as unhealthy housing, illiteracy, poverty, and malnutrition.

It is the responsibility of all of us to keep these tender, green minds alive. May the precious childhood of the present and future generations be nurtured in a care-free environment, may this promise be kept alive in the minds of the people.