Air Pollution is Also Dangerous For Your Kidneys: Research Says!

Beijing: Chinese scientists have discovered that air pollution is not only dangerous for the lungs and heart, but can also cause chronic kidney disease.They made the discovery after analyzing two years of health data from more than 47,000 Chinese adults.It should be noted that fine particles of airborne pollutants measuring 2.5 micrometers or less are called "PM2.5" (particulate meter 2.5) while they are also considered a health hazard.If these particles can reach our lungs on the one hand and cause various respiratory diseases, on the other hand, these particles can also cause a variety of heart diseases.These particles are so dangerous that the World Health Organization (WHO) has set a maximum annual PM2.5 average of 10 micro-grams per cubic meter, while setting a maximum daily allowance of 25 micro-grams per cubic meter.The study, conducted at Peking University in Beijing, examined the long-term airborne presence of PM2.5 and its effects on the kidneys, in addition to its association with human health.The study found that adult men living in cities and healthy adults had a higher risk of PM2.5 long-term air pollution.Of the study participants, approximately 5,100 (10.8%) were found to have chronic kidney disease. It was also discovered that an increase in PM2.5 air pollution by only 10 micrograms per cubic meter increased the risk of kidney problems by 130%.Based on this study, scientists say that government policy makers need to be more serious about air pollution because of its new and more dangerous health effects than ever before.Details of the study are published online in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nefrology.