3 ms·

Are “safe” levels of air pollution safe?

16 points by jger15 5y ago

frontman1988 5y ago
Fine particles like PM 2.5 are basically fine dust. You won't die of dust.
- bagacrap 5y ago
  dust is more like pm10.
throwaway22032 5y ago
Is air pollution homogeneous in its' health effects? It seems to be treated as being such (classified by size) but I don't think that makes sense. I'd much rather breathe in a room with 100ug/m3 of 2.5um particles of paper than I would glass or exhaust fumes for example.
- Flozzin 5y ago
  I would think it’s not all the same, and point out asbestos has very bad side effects. So I too would rather breathe paper than other things. Ideally just air though.
hirundo 5y ago
> Taken all together, the large body of literature with consistent findings indicate there may be significant benefits to lowering the total amount of air pollutant exposure one receives over a lifetime. Dr. Attia is someone who is willing to take -- and prescribe to his patients -- extreme and difficult measures on the expectation that they could increase longevity. In this article he mentions the benefits of using a HEPA air filter for everyday life, and I would guess that he does that. And he is a careful researcher. So I can take some comfort that he does not feel that there's sufficient benefit to wearing a respirator in daily life. He is the kind of nerd that wouldn't be much deterred by people judging him harshly for it.
- ZeroGravitas 5y ago
  Though most of the things he mentions are things that we probably want to do away with for a bunch of other reasons anyway, and so this is just another co-benefit: > Outside, fine particles predominantly come from motor vehicle exhaust, burning of fuels such as wood or coal, natural forest fires, and reactions from power plants. Inside, fine particles are produced by cooking, tobacco smoke, burning candles, and lighting fireplaces.
lil_dispaches 5y ago
I am sure the regulators are not being totally honest. My folks in CA live in a gated condo residence, where recently Prop 65 signs in giant metal placards have been posted at the entrance, with the warning that "cigarette smoke and cooking gas" might be polluting the area and giving you cancer. No mention of open air garages under every building, the nearby highways, etc. My point is, regulators let the businesses protect their assets, without giving people the real information.

16 points by jger15 5y ago

frontman1988 5y ago

Fine particles like PM 2.5 are basically fine dust. You won't die of dust.

bagacrap 5y ago
dust is more like pm10.

throwaway22032 5y ago

Is air pollution homogeneous in its' health effects? It seems to be treated as being such (classified by size) but I don't think that makes sense. I'd much rather breathe in a room with 100ug/m3 of 2.5um particles of paper than I would glass or exhaust fumes for example.

Flozzin 5y ago
I would think it’s not all the same, and point out asbestos has very bad side effects. So I too would rather breathe paper than other things. Ideally just air though.

hirundo 5y ago

> Taken all together, the large body of literature with consistent findings indicate there may be significant benefits to lowering the total amount of air pollutant exposure one receives over a lifetime. Dr. Attia is someone who is willing to take -- and prescribe to his patients -- extreme and difficult measures on the expectation that they could increase longevity. In this article he mentions the benefits of using a HEPA air filter for everyday life, and I would guess that he does that. And he is a careful researcher. So I can take some comfort that he does not feel that there's sufficient benefit to wearing a respirator in daily life. He is the kind of nerd that wouldn't be much deterred by people judging him harshly for it.

ZeroGravitas 5y ago
Though most of the things he mentions are things that we probably want to do away with for a bunch of other reasons anyway, and so this is just another co-benefit: > Outside, fine particles predominantly come from motor vehicle exhaust, burning of fuels such as wood or coal, natural forest fires, and reactions from power plants. Inside, fine particles are produced by cooking, tobacco smoke, burning candles, and lighting fireplaces.

lil_dispaches 5y ago

I am sure the regulators are not being totally honest. My folks in CA live in a gated condo residence, where recently Prop 65 signs in giant metal placards have been posted at the entrance, with the warning that "cigarette smoke and cooking gas" might be polluting the area and giving you cancer. No mention of open air garages under every building, the nearby highways, etc. My point is, regulators let the businesses protect their assets, without giving people the real information.