Can PM2.5 Cause Lung Cancer? Protect Your Health Before It's Too Late
Can PM2.5 cause lung cancer? Protect your health before it's too late. As most people know, the lungs are a large organ that acts like the body's own air purifier, screening out airborne contaminants before delivering good oxygen into the bloodstream and releasing carbon dioxide. But although the lungs have their own mechanism for clearing out waste, when they take in pollution it not only disrupts the body's various functions — including the immune system — but, if too much of that pollution accumulates, they become like an old filter clogged with dust that has lost its ability to filter. The lungs are then at risk of developing abnormalities that can turn into lung cancer. In its early stages it often shows no symptoms, or symptoms resembling other conditions — such as coughing, loss of appetite and fatigue — so by the time the disease is detected, it may already be too late.
Although lung cancer may seem a distant disease for non-smokers, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), lung cancer is one of the top 8 causes of premature death among Thais, and the cancer with the highest death toll worldwide. Moreover, lung cancer is not caused by smoking or close contact with smokers alone, but also by the pollution and toxins we inhale into our bodies and accumulate over time, until the disease finally takes hold.
So studying the causes and risk factors of lung cancer, in order to find ways to prevent or address it before it's too late, is extremely important. Today, Sanyawit has gathered some useful information to share with you in this article.
Can PM 2.5 cause lung cancer?
With the air-pollution crisis steadily worsening worldwide — in cities, outside cities, industrial zones and elsewhere — the WHO has stated that the body's exposure to PM2.5, particulate matter no larger than 2.5 microns, not only has a greater chance of seeping into the bloodstream than larger particles above 2.5 microns and affecting the body's functions, but that prolonged accumulated exposure to PM2.5 can also contribute to lung cancer. Data from the medical journal Oncology Letters – PMC5920433 indicates that PM2.5 may cause cells in the body to mutate or divide abnormally, creating conditions favourable to the development of cancer.
Beyond cancer, the PM2.5 accumulating in the body does not only carry the risk of lung cancer — it is hazardous to every organ the bloodstream travels through, potentially leading to chronic respiratory disease, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, dementia and cerebral artery stenosis; and in people who suffer migraines, it can make the headaches more severe.
How can we protect our health when we still have to live with PM2.5?
How can we protect our health when we still have to live with PM2.5?
You should have a regular annual health check, and if any abnormal symptoms begin to appear, consult a doctor immediately without fail — because a disease only recently developed is always easier to treat than one that has spread to a severe stage.
Try to avoid areas with high air pollution. You can check real-time data and forecasts via air-quality reporting apps that follow global standards. And if you don't know which app to use, Sanyawit has compiled the information in a previous article — you can check air-quality and pollution readings using those apps.
When you have to go outdoors on a high-dust day, wear a certified face mask that genuinely protects against dust, and try to avoid staying outdoors or in high-dust areas for long periods.
Cut down on, reduce and quit smoking for good, and try not to be near people who are smoking (secondhand smoke) — because being near a smoker actually carries a higher risk of lung cancer than smoking yourself.
Exercise regularly, eat nutritious food and get enough rest, to build up your immunity and keep your body strong and ready to fight off illness.
Use a high-performance air purifier to improve the air quality in your home. It must be a filtration system capable of capturing fine particles down to 0.003 microns — the smallest particle size ever found on Earth.
HCU by Sanyawit is, at present, the air-purification technology best suited to protecting against PM2.5. With its top-tier ability to eliminate dust, pollution, viruses, pathogens and bacteria, it is acclaimed for its quality and has drawn interest from leading hospitals, as well as the industrial and residential sectors. You can guarantee its quality by measuring airborne dust and contaminant readings with an instrument shortly after switching it on.
Compared with ordinary air purifiers on the market, HCU by Sanyawit is an air purifier designed specifically to control the level of pollution in the air, because it is fitted with a HEPA Filter rated as high as 99.999% at 0.3 microns — capturing fine contaminants many times more effectively than ordinary air purifiers on the market — and thoroughly filtering contaminants out of your home or workplace. Every component of the HCU is designed under the cleanliness and infection-control standards of the Ministry of Public Health, suitable for use in any setting. It is also energy-efficient and runs at a quiet 50 decibels — so wherever you install it, it certainly won't disrupt daily life.
- HCU250 is suited to rooms of 39–52 sq.m.
Noise level 50 decibels — won't disturb daily living
H13 HEPA Filter Class, 99.95% filtration efficiency
- HCU420 is suited to rooms of 40–80 sq.m.
Noise level 50 decibels — won't disturb daily living
H14 HEPA Filter Class, 99.99% filtration efficiency
- HCU530 is suited to rooms of 50–100 sq.m.
Noise level 50 decibels — won't disturb daily living
H14 HEPA Filter Class, 99.99% filtration efficiency
- HCU830 is suited to rooms of 75–150 sq.m.
Noise level 50 decibels — won't disturb daily living
H14 HEPA Filter Class, 99.99% filtration efficiency
HCU by Sanyawit — the leader in clean air to Ministry of Public Health standards, ready to transform the air around you into pure air, protecting you from the airborne pollution that troubles you, keeping your life safe and lastingly free from serious illness.
If you are interested in owning an air purifier, feel free to contact us any time.