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DOH-7: Be more wary of vehicle emissions than haze

CEBU - Central Visayas Health Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas told the public to be more wary of man-made pollutants like the daily vehicle emissions endangering public health more than the haze which is temporary.

Bernadas said though the haze has been a chief health issue these days, the public should also be equally concerned about the impact of vehicle emissions to human health.

“Vehicle emission is a major contributory factor in the development of respiratory diseases,” said Bernadas.

The DOH-7 director urged the public to take public transport more or do car pooling and lessen the use of personal private cars in order to reduce vehicle emissions.

Smoke belching largely contributes to the formation of smog which is also linked to a variety of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, according to the British Columbia Air Quality Report.

In the same report, it outlined the common pollutants vehicles emit and their health effects including nitrogen oxides which irritate the lungs, carbon monoxide which decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen and fine particulate matter that can worsen symptoms in individuals with respiratory or heart diseases.

Bernadas said it is high time the Clean Air Act be strictly implemented wherein under the law, it considers the maximum limits for all major pollutants to ensure air quality for the health, safety and welfare of the general public.

“We still see many vehicles out there that are no longer fit to ply the streets,” said Bernadas. Frequent inhalation of air pollutants can eventually lead to the development of respiratory diseases, said the DOH7 regional director.

These man-made air pollutants caused by smoke belching should be a major health concern more than the haze as the public is confronted with such pollutants daily, said Bernadas.

The haze is just temporary, said Bernadas but added that vulnerable groups such as those with bronchial asthma, respiratory and heart diseases, the elderly and the very young should use face mask to protect themselves from the dust particles brought about by the haze.

The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, however, said air quality in Metro Cebu continues to improve based on the latest air monitoring results. (rmn/fcr/PIA7)

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