Health and Me

Ishita Roy

'No Direct Link Between Lung Disease And Air Pollution,' Says Minister; But Studies Say Something Else

Delhi yet again woke up to a thick smog blanketed Saturday morning. The AQI stood at 380 for the city, which puts it under the 'very poor' category, as of 7am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several parts of the city also recorded with in the 'severe' limits of air pollution, with multiple stations recording AQI above 400. These areas include Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan recorded 428 AQI, ITO recorded 429, Akshardham recorded 420, Ashok Vihar recorded 407, and Rao Tularam Marg recorded 403. 

While GRAP Stage IV is enforced in the capital to combat the pollution problem, amid this, Minister of State for Environment and Climate Change Kriti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that there is no direct correlation between higher Air Quality Index or AQI levels and lung diseases. He said that there is no "conclusive data" to establish such a link. However, he did say that air pollution is one of the "triggering factors" for respiratory ailments and associated diseases.

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/aqi-explained-its-not-temperature-as-delhi-cm-says-heres-what-the-air-quality-index-really-means-article-153299496" data-type="tilCustomLink">AQI Explained: It’s Not Temperature, As Delhi CM Says, Here’s What the Air Quality Index Really Means</a> 

<h2>What Do Doctors And Research Say On The Link of Lung Diseases And Air Pollution</h2>

"Lung cancer is no longer a smoker’s but a breather’s disease," said Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman, Lung Transplant, Chest Surgery and Oncosurgery at Medanta, Gurugram, as reported by The Indian Express. He treated a 31-year-old patient from Ghaziabad with lung cancer, who had never smoked in her life. 

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/lung-cancer-no-longer-a-smokers-disease-its-a-breather-disease-story-of-a-31-year-old-non-smoker-ncr-woman-who-had-stage-2-lung-cancer-article-153124821" data-type="tilCustomLink">Lung Cancer No Longer A Smoker's Disease, It's A Breather's Disease: Story Of A 31-year-old Non-smoker NCR Woman Who Had Stage 2 Lung Cancer</a>

"Younger non-smokers are being diagnosed. And there are as many women as men. This indicates that lung cancer is no longer a smoker’s but a breather’s disease. While we talk of particulate matter, the ambient air in the urban environment is full of carcinogenic gases. And this is emerging as a real threat to everybody," the doctor said. 

Dr Shivanshu Raj Goyal, a pulmonologist and Associate Director Pulmonary Medicine at MAX Healthcare in Gurugram and Delhi, in an Instagram video said that breathing this toxic air is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes in a day. The doctor starts his video with a rather strong statement, "At present, no one in Delhi-NCR is a non-smoker."

The doctor also states that on an average, a person breathes around 20,000 times in a day, so it means we are inhaling the toxic air at least 20,000 times a day.

As per a 2017 study titled Pulmonary Health Effects of Air Pollution, it is clear that lung cancer could be exacerbated due to exposure to a variety of environmental air pollutants with greatest effects due to particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/lancet-study-estimates-15-lakh-annual-air-pollution-deaths-in-india-centre-calls-data-inconclusive-article-153294868" data-type="tilCustomLink">Lancet Study Estimates 15 Lakh Annual Air Pollution Deaths in India; Centre Calls Data 'Inconclusive'</a> 

As per Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a cigarette contains nicotine, and tar, which is composed of chemicals like benzene, benzopyrene, and the gas includes carbon monoxide, ammonia, dimethyl nitrosamine, cadmium, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and acrolein. Some of these marked irritant properties are also carcinogen, meaning, it can cause cancer.

Whereas Air Pollution contains pollutants like particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, cadmium and sulfur dioxide. Air pollution, which is often a byproduct of combustion or released from vehicle exhaust also contain formaldehyde, benzopyrene, and benzene. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the pollutants contain carcinogens, and the outdoor air pollution is in fact classified as Group 1 carcinogen.

Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/breathing-delhis-toxic-air-is-like-smoking-20-cigarettes-a-day-according-to-pulmonologist-article-153168718" data-type="tilCustomLink">Breathing Delhi's Toxic Air Is Like Smoking 20 Cigarettes A Day</a>

<h2>Common Chemicals We Inhale When We Breathe Delhi's Toxic Air And When We Smoke A Cigarette </h2>

<strong>Carbon Monoxide:</strong> a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air.

<strong>Benzene: </strong>a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell, and is partially responsible for the aroma of gasoline.

<strong>Cadmium:</strong> a soft, silvery-white metal (atomic number 48) that is toxic and naturally found in the environment, but human activities have increased its levels. It is used in products like batteries, pigments, and coatings, and exposure can occur through tobacco smoke, contaminated food, and occupational inhalation. Cadmium is a known human carcinogen that can damage the kidneys and bones.

<strong>Formaldehyde: </strong>a colorless, flammable gas with a strong odor, whose exposure could cause cancer.

Benzopyrene: a group of organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It is a colorless crystalline solid found in sources like cigarette smoke, coal tar and is a known carcinogen that can cause cancer and other health problems like skin rashes and bronchitis, and exposure requires medical attention for any symptoms.

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Delhi yet again woke up to a thick smog blanketed Saturday morning. The AQI stood at 380 for the city, which puts it under the 'very poor' category, as of 7am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Several parts of the city also recorded with in the 'severe' limits of air pollution, with multiple stations recording AQI above 400. These areas include Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan recorded 428 AQI, ITO recorded 429, Akshardham recorded 420, Ashok Vihar recorded 407, and Rao Tularam Marg recorded 403. While GRAP Stage IV is enforced in the capital to combat the pollution problem, amid this, Minister of State for Environment and Climate Change Kriti Vardhan Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that there is no direct correlation between higher Air Quality Index or AQI levels and lung diseases. He said that there is no "conclusive data" to establish such a link. However, he did say that air pollution is one of the "triggering factors" for respiratory ailments and associated diseases.Read: AQI Explained: It’s Not Temperature, As Delhi CM Says, Here’s What the Air Quality Index Really Means What Do Doctors And Research Say On The Link of Lung Diseases And Air Pollution"Lung cancer is no longer a smoker’s but a breather’s disease," said Dr Arvind Kumar, chairman, Lung Transplant, Chest Surgery and Oncosurgery at Medanta, Gurugram, as reported by The Indian Express. He treated a 31-year-old patient from Ghaziabad with lung cancer, who had never smoked in her life. Read: Lung Cancer No Longer A Smoker's Disease, It's A Breather's Disease: Story Of A 31-year-old Non-smoker NCR Woman Who Had Stage 2 Lung Cancer"Younger non-smokers are being diagnosed. And there are as many women as men. This indicates that lung cancer is no longer a smoker’s but a breather’s disease. While we talk of particulate matter, the ambient air in the urban environment is full of carcinogenic gases. And this is emerging as a real threat to everybody," the doctor said. Dr Shivanshu Raj Goyal, a pulmonologist and Associate Director Pulmonary Medicine at MAX Healthcare in Gurugram and Delhi, in an Instagram video said that breathing this toxic air is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes in a day. The doctor starts his video with a rather strong statement, "At present, no one in Delhi-NCR is a non-smoker."The doctor also states that on an average, a person breathes around 20,000 times in a day, so it means we are inhaling the toxic air at least 20,000 times a day.As per a 2017 study titled Pulmonary Health Effects of Air Pollution, it is clear that lung cancer could be exacerbated due to exposure to a variety of environmental air pollutants with greatest effects due to particulate matter (PM), ozone, and nitrogen oxides.Also Read: Lancet Study Estimates 15 Lakh Annual Air Pollution Deaths in India; Centre Calls Data 'Inconclusive' As per Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a cigarette contains nicotine, and tar, which is composed of chemicals like benzene, benzopyrene, and the gas includes carbon monoxide, ammonia, dimethyl nitrosamine, cadmium, formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide and acrolein. Some of these marked irritant properties are also carcinogen, meaning, it can cause cancer.Whereas Air Pollution contains pollutants like particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, cadmium and sulfur dioxide. Air pollution, which is often a byproduct of combustion or released from vehicle exhaust also contain formaldehyde, benzopyrene, and benzene. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the pollutants contain carcinogens, and the outdoor air pollution is in fact classified as Group 1 carcinogen.Read: Breathing Delhi's Toxic Air Is Like Smoking 20 Cigarettes A DayCommon Chemicals We Inhale When We Breathe Delhi's Toxic Air And When We Smoke A Cigarette Carbon Monoxide: a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air.Benzene: a colorless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet smell, and is partially responsible for the aroma of gasoline.Cadmium: a soft, silvery-white metal (atomic number 48) that is toxic and naturally found in the environment, but human activities have increased its levels. It is used in products like batteries, pigments, and coatings, and exposure can occur through tobacco smoke, contaminated food, and occupational inhalation. Cadmium is a known human carcinogen that can damage the kidneys and bones.Formaldehyde: a colorless, flammable gas with a strong odor, whose exposure could cause cancer.Benzopyrene: a group of organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. It is a colorless crystalline solid found in sources like cigarette smoke, coal tar and is a known carcinogen that can cause cancer and other health problems like skin rashes and bronchitis, and exposure requires medical attention for any symptoms.