– Municipal programs to combat smog are one thing, but the initiative of the residents is extremely important. So much depends on us and we can do a lot of things ourselves – says Dr. Anna Prokop-Staszecka, pulmonologist and chairman of the Ecology and Air Protection Committee in the Krakow City Council. For all those who want to protect themselves, not only from toxic air, but also from the coronavirus circulating in it, the doctor has some immediate advice.
- Smog causes diseases of the lower and upper respiratory tract, from chronic runny nose to asthma – lists Dr. Prokop-Staszecka
- In Krakow’s air, apart from nitrogen and oxygen, there are carbon oxides, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and additionally suspended dusts in high concentrations – says the doctor.
- As a great patent for improving the air quality in the apartment, it recommends a private oxygen factory
- Today we celebrate Clean Air Day. This article was created as part of the TvoiLokony and Airly #OddychajPolsko campaign, which aims to spread knowledge about the problem of smog in Poland
- You can find more such texts on the TvoiLokony home page
Monika Zieleniewska, Medonet: A lot has been said about smog in recent years, but let us recall what happens to us when we breathe polluted air?
Dr Anna Prokop-Staszecka: During the heating season, we burn not only coal in furnaces, but also burn whatever we can. Coal smoking is forbidden in Krakow, but it is still ongoing around Krakow, in neighboring municipalities. Therefore, in Krakow, we breathe, for example, benzopyrene, which are very toxic. Anyway, what is not toxic in our air?
When the incidence of asthma was examined in schools in Krakow, it turned out that we have three times more cases of this disease than in other regions. Another problem is sinusitis. It can therefore be concluded that toxic dusts and gases cause damage to the upper respiratory tract, which constitute a protective barrier against contamination of the inhaled air. The consequences of these injuries include, for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, bronchitis or sinusitis. Ophthalmologists will say that dry conjunctivitis, conjunctivitis and tear gland inflammation are more common.
Anyone who deals with smog knows that there is no organ in our body that will not suffer from it. Of course, we get used to these ailments, we stop paying attention that our eyes are watering, that we cough, that we have a runny nose … We start to consider it as a norm, but it is not normal.
You emphasize that in the fight against smog, building social awareness is the most important. Why?
Let me give you an example: nine people know how dangerous smog is and try to do everything not to contribute to its creation, and the tenth person throws into the furnace what is not allowed to burn. It is enough for someone to burn the tires in one furnace and the entire neighborhood suffers from the clouds of smoke and stench. If we want changes, let us act in accordance with the logic and the actual state, let us not try to curse reality.
The slogan that Krakow is to be the second Netherlands will not make all residents change to bicycles. Gentlemen from the Public Transport Authority have separated bicycle paths on the road, but there are cars in traffic jams, many of which do not meet exhaust emission standards. This is a big misunderstanding. Good assumptions for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers require infrastructure. It is not enough to paint the lanes on the road and say that bicycles will be used here from now on. Only 2 percent. Cracovians drive them to work, so what do the remaining 98 percent do? If we do not build a city bypass, we will not take the traffic out of the center, the traffic jams will not disappear, and cyclists and pedestrians will especially suffer.
I really like such an EU directive which says that we are responsible for our own health. If you smoke, eat unhealthy, are overweight, don’t lead an active lifestyle, you owe it to yourself. I have been dealing with pulmonology for 40 years and I know that since the number of smokers has decreased in the world, the number of lung cancer cases has decreased, and in Poland, unfortunately not.
Always in the fall, the increase in the number of seasonal infections was associated with smog in cities.
We are now entering this period. We have more exacerbations of chronic lung diseases, as well as influenza and bronchitis. To be honest, now I return to Krakow’s problems with smog, almost with sentiment, because I, and probably most of the residents, are overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic. I don’t want to scare anyone, but on all the dust that floats in the air, the virus lasts longer.
- Also read: Pulmonologist explains how smog affects the risk of developing COVID-19
So another health threat that we do not see?
We breathe air, which should be 21 percent. oxygen, but we do not see that it also contains bacteria, viruses, pollen, toxic gases … All these factors are a threat to our health. Each breath is 0,5 liters of air, and normal, calm breaths are made 14-16 per minute. This air enters the lungs and needs to be cleaned and warmed.
What do we breathe in Krakow?
A mixture of gases, not necessarily good for our health. Apart from oxygen, there are other gases – carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide. Additionally, the concentration of dusts in Krakow’s air is still too high, I am not talking about their composition. And it is harmful, and it is very much.
The concentrations of particulate matter are also not identical across the city. It is best in Nowa Huta, and worse in the lower parts of Krakow and with heavy car traffic. In any case, if we breathe such air every day for several months of the year, we are destroying the natural immunity of the nasopharynx.
How?
Everything is for something. Nose hair is there to trap large toxic particles in the air. Likewise, the mucus or epithelium of the respiratory tract. If there are too many harmful substances, our defense system is damaged. If you ask ENT specialists, it turns out that in Krakow, inhabitants suffer from persistent rhinitis or sinusitis more often than in other cities. This applies not only to adults, but also to children. We suffer from asthma several times more often, which means that the lower respiratory tract, everything that is below the larynx – the trachea, bronchi and lungs, is already damaged.
Is the awareness of the inhabitants changing?
Definitely. I have been dealing with smog in the city council for eight years. I have meetings with residents, I go to kindergartens and schools and everyone emphasizes that we have succeeded in drinking water, we drink it straight from the tap, but unfortunately the air is not. Krakow lies in a basin, and in the 80s and 90s air corridors were built to ventilate the city. In addition, pollution comes to us from the Czech Republic and Silesia. But we are not going to change that, so in my opinion we should focus on what we can change.
- READ: Minister of Climate: a civilization challenge ahead [INTERVIEW]
For example, replace old stoves with new ecological ones?
Certainly, the replacement of the furnaces works, although not all of them have been replaced yet. And yet, apart from the fact that they were burned with coal, they were thrown there with plastic, glues, linings, diapers … Mendeleev’s table would not be needed to describe this mixture.
Another issue is industrial plants, for example the steel plant does not poison us anymore, as it did in the old years. We have more greenery and that also serves us. Probably many people would like a miracle to happen, but we can also introduce changes slowly. Let me remind you that, together with other doctors, I worked to close the Skawina smelter, which provided us with acid rains, in the 70s and 80s.
What else can we do ourselves to improve the air condition?
Half of the success depends on us. We spend a lot of time indoors, and we have to take care of the quality of the air we breathe there. It is known that you need to plant trees, plants in flower beds. Mosses are said to be great at trapping dirt, as is green walls. Years ago, I took a course on living in an unfavorable environment and I realize that not every plant has the same air-cleaning power. I love orchids, but at the same time I know that these beautiful and popular flowers do not improve its condition.
So we focus on greenery in our homes.
After the appeal of the air protection committee in which I operate, the city greenery prepared a draft brochure, discussing, inter alia, plants that Cracovians should plant on balconies and apartments to improve the quality of the air. The brochure will be available in spring, but we can also look for information on our own. I like the initiative of Radio Weather, which announced a competition for the most beautiful balcony. It is also about a healthy balcony, because planting plants stimulates physical activity, and we can cut off the smog, for example, on vines. A lot of plants can also protect us in the fall and winter.
For example, a private garden in an apartment?
And a private oxygen factory. I saw the first such private oxygen plant over 30 years ago, when I visited a Swedish botany professor in her apartment in Stockholm. She had lots of plants everywhere, also in the hallway and in the bathroom, where she left the lights on at night so that the plants would produce oxygen.
- READ ALSO:Dr. Feleszko: by getting rid of smog, we can reduce the death rate from COVID-19
And other effective measures?
During the heating season, we should remove carpets, shake outer garments outside, not in the staircase, but in front of the front door. Why not at home? When we flick our clothes, we can introduce into the atmosphere those viruses that have not yet died but have settled on clothes. This is all the more important during a pandemic, because the coronavirus lasts longer in polluted air. It also stays on different surfaces longer, so it’s good to leave your shoes outside the door. Of course, I recommend air purifiers if only someone can buy.
Yeah, we’re bringing all these toxic particles to our homes.
While walking, we lift a whole lot of dust that fell to the ground with our shoes. Children running in unwashed streets are the most vulnerable. I encourage everyone to thoroughly clean the equipment and frequently ventilate the rooms. When cooking with gas, try to turn on the extractor and ventilate the kitchen. However, let’s skip the spraying of fragrances, it will not do anything, this way we do not improve the air quality.
When is it best to ventilate properly in a city full of smog?
Then, when the message stating that the air quality is good appears.
What message do you have for the inhabitants of Krakow at the beginning of the infection season?
Now I am on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, so I recommend masks, distance, disinfection of hands and objects to everyone. Let us not leave the house if we do not have to, because we should all survive it. Let us take care of ourselves, our loved ones and our surroundings. We can do it!
See also:
- #I’m protecting me from the coronavirus. 10 rules to stay healthy in a pandemic
- Patients with COVID-19 will receive pulse oximeters. What is this?
- Air ionizer – what should you know before buying?
- Go to www.oddychajpolsko.TvoiLokony and read the report on the condition of Polish air
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