Fine dust ups risk of lung cancer by 20%

Airborne fine dust can greatly increase the chance of developing lung cancer, according to a South Korean medical team. The team analyzed the correlation between fine dust and the development of respiratory diseases and concluded that long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer by up to 20 percent. It also increases the chance of developing asthma and cardiovascular diseases, said the team of doctors and medical experts at Seoul National University and the Catholic University of Korea, in a paper published by the Journal of the Korean Medical Association (JKMA). A one microgram per cubic meter (1㎍/m³) increase in fine dust would make children 1.03 times more likely to develop asthma and 1.05 times more likely with a 2㎍/m³ increase. A 10㎍/m³ increase in the short term would make people 1.10 times more likely to have respiratory disease. The team also showed that the intensity of airborne fine dust increases the risk of a stroke. To inhale less dust, experts advise people to install air purifiers and wear a filtering mask when outdoors.

By Park Si-soo

(Korea Times)