There are several benefits to keeping the mask on while exercising in a busy urban area. Photo / 123RF
Wearing a mask when exercising on a busy road not only helps protect you from Covid, but also has other benefits. By Nicky Pellegrino.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, it has become more common to see people wearing masks.
Exercise in a busy urban area. In addition to protection from Covid-19, these joggers, pedestrians and cyclists have other benefits. A suitable N95 style mask will remove at least some air pollution.
Inhaling contaminated ultrafine particles is bad for our health. Contaminated haze does not enter only our lungs. There is evidence that it can enter the bloodstream and affect all organs and cells in the body.
There are tens of thousands of scientific studies demonstrating the harm of inhaling toxic air. As well as respiratory illness, it is associated with many cancers and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Particles of air pollution have been found to clog the placenta of pregnant women, which is associated with low birth weight in babies.
The more you breathe, the more air pollutants you inhale. Currently, there are new studies showing that when people exercise vigorously in poor quality air, the brain improvement expected from physical activity is almost eliminated.
Researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Southern California have used UK Biobank data to help campaigners with moderate levels of air pollution.
In another recent study, researchers at Fudan University in China found that men living in areas with high air pollution had reduced sperm motility.
The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that a whopping 99% of the world’s population inhales air at levels of pollutants that exceed the limits of the guidelines, which estimates that about 7 million people die each year. increase.
In New Zealand, our long, narrow lands and often windy weather benefit us. Also, as an isolated island nation, we are rarely affected by pollution from our neighbors. Nevertheless, poor quality air still causes premature death and hospitalization.
“What I generally say about New Zealand’s air quality is that it’s almost always absolutely great in most places, but there are some important exceptions,” said Niwa air quality scientist Ian. Dr. Longley says.
One of those exceptions is when you are on the side of a busy road. “Our cars are by no means the cleanest in the world, and morning rush hours are especially bad because there isn’t enough wind to blow away pollution,” Longley explains.
Continuing to use solid fuels such as wood and coal for heat is the cause of the problem.
“So, in fact, we get extreme air quality, depending on where you are, the time of day, and the time of year,” Longley says. “In the South Island region, air quality can be as bad as in Chinese cities on winter nights.”
Longley monitored air quality in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch for seven weeks during the first blockade and found dramatic changes. He estimates that pollution has been reduced by an average of three-quarters and that many Auckland citizens have reduced their exposure to traffic pollution by 90% during the blockade.
“In a sense, this proved what I’ve been saying for a long time. Almost all of our air pollution is potentially under our control,” he says.
The transition from solid fuels and fossil fuels will take time. Longley, on the other hand, shows that all evidence outweighs the risks posed by air pollution.
“Still, I don’t want to inhale pollution if I don’t need it. One of the investigations I was involved in was to look at the bike lanes. It turns out that cyclists don’t have to be too far from traffic. 5 meters and 10 meters can actually make a big difference, 20 meters can make an even bigger difference and reduce the amount of pollution you are breathing. “
If cycling in city traffic is unavoidable, it is worth wearing a mask.
“It doesn’t rule out everything, but it will certainly reduce the dose to the body,” Longley says. In a sense, he added that wearing a mask is an ambulance under a cliff. “It doesn’t solve the problem, but emphasizes that there is a problem that needs to be solved.”
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