Race for Masks: COVID-19 vs Air Pollution

As the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic descended on the world, many countries faced a shortage of the proper equipment to deal with the disease [1]. Amidst the initial panic, there was also a shortage of the N-95 face masks deemed appropriate for adequate protection from the virus in the early stages of its outbreak [2]. However, school students in a city tucked away in the heart of South Asia simply reached into their backpacks and adjusted the straps of their N-95 masks over their mouths, a practice which had long been part of their daily routine. This is the reality faced by the millions residing in my hometown of Lahore, Pakistan.

While the rest of the world sought N-95 masks as protection from the virus, countries that had already been dealing with high levels of air pollution had previously designated such masks as appropriate for protection from air pollutants [3]. Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) concentration is often referred to while discussing air pollution and this consists of inhalable particles of diameters that are 2.5 micrometres and smaller [4]. Luckily, resources such as IQAir allow people to check the real-time measurements of AQI provided by air monitoring facilities located globally. Currently, the air quality index (AQI) of Lahore is at 311, falling into the “hazardous” category as defined by the US EPA.

Air pollution remains a major cause of death on a global scale, leading to about 7 million premature deaths a year globally [5]. However, the issue is immensely complex, both on a local and global scale. Throughout this blog, I seek to explicate the complexities of air pollution including its monitoring, causes, effects on environment and health, and possible technologies and strategies to combat it.

References

[1] National survey shows dire shortages of PPE, hand sanitizer across the U.S. (n.d.). APIC. https://apic.org/news/national-survey-shows-dire-shortages-of-ppe-hand-sanitizer-across-the-u-s/

[2]  Nogee, D., & Tomassoni, A. (2020). Concise Communication: Covid-19 and the N95 Respirator Shortage: Closing the Gap. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2020.124

[3] Cherrie, J. W., Apsley, A., Cowie, H., Steinle, S., Mueller, W., Lin, C., Horwell, C. J., Sleeuwenhoek, A., & Loh, M. (2018). Effectiveness of face masks used to protect Beijing residents against particulate air pollution. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(6), 446–452. https://doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2017-104765

[4] US EPA,OAR. (2016, July 19). Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Trends | US EPA. US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/air-trends/particulate-matter-pm25-trends

[5] Air pollution. World Health Organisation https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#:~:text=The%20combined%20effects%20of%20ambient