Haze

These days, the Air Pollutant Index (API) in Sarawak has been in a very
unhealthy level. To give an example, on 9 September 2019, Sarikei, Kuching, Sri
Aman and Samarahan recorded very unhealthy API levels. This serious situation has
affected most of Sarawak citizens, especially the citizens within the areas with a very
high API levels. This haze in Sarawak could cause lots of negative effects to human’s
health especially the ones who live in Sarawak.
One of the short-term health effects of haze is conjunctivitis or eye inflammation.
Conjunctivitis is known as a disease when there is an inflammation or swelling of the
conjunctiva. Conjunctiva is the thin transparent layer of tissue that lines the inner
surface of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye. Other than that, haze can
cause swelling on lung tissue and scarring. People with cardiovascular problems
could have difficulty in breathing. Most people will feel the breathlessness and cough
when the haze level is terribly high. Beside that, haze could also cause runny nose.
Haze could lead to stress, anxiety or any depression-like symptoms. As an example,
insomnia, loss of interest in day-to-day activities and irritability.
Next, one of the long-term effects of haze is spontaneous abortion, underweight
infants, birth defects and infant deaths for those expecting mothers. For instance, in
China pollution causes two birth defects in a minute. It is because China’s air
pollution is not good for newborns. On the other hand, haze could make our brain
age faster. This is according to a research in the United States in 2015. Plus, haze
could also increase the risk of diabetes, as pollutants may induce insulin resistance,
swelling and contribute to the growth of diabetes.
Every single problems in this whole world has the solution for it. So one of the
solution to prevent haze is by wearing a mask. Respiratory masks can keep out fine
dust in the air, such as the N95 masks. But, when the mask gets dirty, it should be
changed. By the way respiratory mask are sold at many pharmacies in this whole
Malaysia. So, there is no reason for you to not buy one. Another way to beat the
haze is by avoiding strenuous outdoor activities. When it is the season of haze in
Malaysia, we should minimize the duration of exposure outdoors. On the other hand,
the way to overcome haze is by hydrating frequently and increasing fibre intake. As
haze can irritate our throat, which will make it dry or sore which could also lead to
coughing, it is vital to eliminates the toxins absorbed through the skin and lungs.
Fibre such as fruits and vegetables can boost our immune system. Another way to
beat haze is by staying indoors. Close all the windows and the doors to avoid the
polluted air from seeping through into your house. Use air purifiers to eliminate dust

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particles and contaminants in the air. Besides, if you are already affected by haze,
then you should take medication to relieve symptoms. As we already know, haze
could cause eye irritation. You should go to the nearest pharmacy and buy an eye
drop. Lastly, the last way to reduce haze is by avoiding smoking. When there is haze,
for sure that there will be lots of toxins in the air. Then, if you smoke then the air will
become much more unclean to inhale. So, for those who smoke, you should stop that
behaviour when it is the haze season.
Based on the three articles that I chose, I can tell that haze is not a small issue
that is happening and currently occurring in Sarawak. It could cause death for all we
know. So, there are ways to prevent haze because prevention is better than cure.
Hence, the reason for me to choose these three articles, because it concludes
everything which are the current news about haze in Sarawak, the effects of haze for
health and the ways to beat haze.
In a nutshell, haze is a situation that is very common in Malaysia especially
Sarawak, recently. There are a lot of effects of haze for our health, so those ways
that was stated earlier is very useful in our daily life. Remember that the world is
everyone’s property. Take care of it like you take care of your own house.

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Article 1

Haze: Sarikei and three other areas in Sarawak record very unhealthy API
levels
KUCHING: The Air Pollutant Index for Sarikei and three other areas in Sarawak has
shot up to a very unhealthy level as of 8am today.
According to the head of the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee, Major
Ismail Mahedin from the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, Sarikei recorded an API
reading of 206 this morning compared to 193 at 8pm yesterday.
Meanwhile, Kuching entered its third day in the same category, recording an API
level of 242 compared to 223, while in Sri Aman and Samarahan, the air quality is
slightly better, with each recording a drop in API reading at 244 compared to 252,
and 201 compared to 205.
Similarly, the S K Baram area saw a drop to ‘moderate’ category compared to
‘unhealthy’ yesterday, with an API reading of 96 this morning compared to 122
yesterday.
The readings in four other areas remained at unhealthy levels, with Miri recording
102 this morning compared to 163 at 8pm yesterday, ILP Miri (145 compared to 146),
Sibu (173 compared to 187), and Mukah from 119 to 125. — Bernama

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Article 2
Health Effects of Haze (and How You Can Protect Yourself)
Learn the health impact of haze and what you can do to protect you and your loved
ones.
Haze is an atmospheric condition where particles, smoke, dust and moisture
suspend in the air obscuring visibility.
Sources of haze include emissions from power plants, industrial activities, traffic as
well as farming practices.
Forest fires in countries like the US, Australia and Europe during the hot and dry
summer season are also a source of haze.
In Southeast Asia, haze poses a serious and recurring problem every year,
particularly between May to October, due to the burning of forests in some countries
to clear land.
How Haze Can Affect Your Health
In the 1997 Southeast Asian haze which affected a number of countries in the region,
an increase in air pollutants from 50 to 150 μg/m3 is significantly associated with
increases of 12% of upper respiratory tract illness, 19% asthma and 26% nasal
inflammation (1).
Depending on how sensitive you are, the severity of the haze and the time of
exposure, you may experience the following short-term adverse effects:
 Irritated eyes, watering eyes, and/or conjunctivitis (a type of eye
inflammation);
 Running nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, and/or post-nasal drip;
 Throat irritation, dry throat, sore throat and/or coughing;
 Headache, dizziness and/or fatigue;
 Decreased lung function, depressed respiratory immune defenses, chest
pain, and/or bronchitis (lung inflammation);
 Diarrhea and/or stomach upset, if drinking water sources are contaminated by
dense haze and the water is consumed without further treatment;
 Anxiety, stress and/or depression-like symptoms such as insomnia, feelings
of helplessness, loss of interest in daily activities and irritability.
These symptoms are usually mild and will subside when you stay indoor and limit
your exposure to haze.
However, in susceptible individuals and those suffering from chronic disease,
especially respiratory and heart disease (e.g. coronary artery disease, asthma
and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), their condition may be worsened
by haze. They are more likely to experience more severe haze-related effects
than healthy people.
Long-Term Effects

As much as 94% of the particles in a haze are below 2.5 micrometers in diameter

(see: How small is one micrometer?), that is, particles that are 30 times smaller than
the width of a human hair.
Due to their small size, these ultra-small particles stay in the air longer and are easily
carried over long distances, increasing their chances of being inhaled by animals and
humans.
Known as PM2.5 or fine particles, those particles emitted by forest fires are toxic to
the lungs, and are more harmful than particulate matter collected from ambient air
from the same region (2).
Fine particles can also bypass normal body defense mechanisms and penetrate
deep into the lungs due to their minute size. When inhaled, they can enter the
bloodstream and get absorbed by underlying tissue, potentially interacting with other
compounds and substances in the body, such as LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol, to produce
damaging effects such as inflammation.

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Below are some of the long-term risks associated with fine particles:
 In a large prospective cohort study of adults without pre-existing
cardiovascular disease, individuals with higher exposure to fine particles
(measured by PM2.5 readings) experience a faster rate of thickening of the
arteries compared to others living within the same city (3). This implies that
higher long-term PM2.5 exposures could promote the development of
vascular disease.
 Long-term exposure to fine particles increases the risk of death by
cardiovascular disease and reduces life expectancy by several months to a
few years (4).
 Living in real-world levels of PM2.5 for 10 weeks promotes liver fibrosis, also
known as liver scarring, and increases the risk of metabolic disease and liver
dysfunction, as suggested by this animal study.
 Long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollutants may induce insulin resistance,
inflammation and contribute to the development of diabetes (5, 6). A US
epidemiologic study found that for every 10 μg/m3 increase of PM2.5, there
could be a resulting increase of about 10,000 diagnosed cases of diabetes, or
1% increase in diabetes prevalence (7). Interestingly, an increase in diabetes
risk exists even among areas that are below the US authority’s legal limits for
PM2.5 (15 μg/m3). Populations living in areas that are near, but still below,
the limits show a more than 20% higher diabetes prevalence compared with
those in cleaner areas, an association that persisted after controlling for
diabetes risk factors.
 A study comparing the respiratory health of common residents and traffic
policemen, who are exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 due to their duties,
found that the latter are more likely to suffer from respiratory symptoms and
impaired pulmonary function (8). Other studies also linked increased chronic
exposures to PM2.5 to population sinusitis in adults (9) and respiratory illness
in infants (10).
 Exposure to polluted air by expecting mothers has also been associated with
spontaneous abortion, under-weight infants, birth defects and infant death
(11).
 A US study published in 2015 found that exposure to air pollution can make
the brain age faster. Researchers found that for every 3.49 ug/cm3 increase
in cumulative exposure to PM2.5, there is a 6.23 cm3 decrease in white
matter. This is equivalent to about 1 ‐ 2 years of brain aging.

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Article 3
7 Ways To Protect Yourself From The Haze
Now that the haze is back, we recommend seven ways to protect yourself from the
haze and keep your body in it’s best condition regardless of air quality.
The detrimental effects that haze can have on a person is dependent on his or her
health as well as the duration and intensity of outdoor activity. Here are some ways
to protect yourself from the hazy onslaught:
Stay Indoors
Clearly one of the best ways to battle the health effects of haze is to avoid going
outdoors. Try to stay indoors as much as possible and shut the windows. Switch on
the air conditioner if possible or use suitable air filters and air purifiers to remove dust
particles and contaminants in the air.
Avoid Strenuous Outdoor Activities
Minimise your duration of exposure outdoors. If you have to do outdoor sports or
exercises, try bringing your workout indoors or postpone it instead. Aerobic activities
such as running, cycling or playing football will require deep breathing and that would
mean inhaling all the harmful pollutants in the air. Those who have pre-existing
chronic heart or lung conditions, or who are not feeling well, should avoid going
outdoors. Even if you do not have a pre-existing condition, it is still better to be safe
than sorry as excessive exposure to the minuscule dust particles can increase one’s
risk of developing viral and bacterial infections.
Wear A Mask
If you must go outdoors, put on a respiratory mask. Surgical masks or paper masks
do not offer any protection against the solid particles present in the air. An
appropriate respiratory mask to combat the haze would be the N95 mask, which is
designed to filter airborne particles and protect wearers from inhaling the haze
particles. These respiratory masks are available at major pharmacies and
supermarkets.
Hydrate Frequently And Increase Fibre Intake
Given that haze can irritate your throat, causing it to be dry or sore or even lead to
coughing, it is essential to drink up to flush away the toxins absorbed through the
skin and lungs. Eating more fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins A and C
can boost your immune system. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, sweet
potatoes and spinach and are known to protect your eyes and lungs from air
pollution. Foods rich in vitamin C like oranges, kiwis and broccoli can promote lung
tissue health and prevent you from catching the common flu.
Take Medication To Alleviate Symptoms
Haze can cause some adverse effects on your health which includes eye irritation,
running or stuffy nose, throat irritation, headache or lung inflammation. If you
experience any of these symptoms, you might want to relieve them with eye drops or
cough tablets and mixtures available at pharmacies (consult your doctor first). If your
symptoms worsen, do seek medical attention immediately.
Avoid Smoking
On top of all the toxins present in the hazy air, the last thing you want to do is to
further irritate your lungs with cigarette smoke. Avoid smoking during this period as
it will make your lungs even more sensitive to the effects of air pollutants.
Pay Attention To Air Quality Updates
Check the local environment agency’s website regularly for updates on the latest air
conditions. You can visit NEA for live updates on the latest PSI readings to verify if
the air quality is within a healthy PSI range.
Bearing these tips in mind, stay safe and protected from the harmful effects of the
haze and hope that the air clears up soon!

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 References
Article 1:
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/haze-sarikei-and-three-other-areas-in-sarawak-
record-very-unhealthy-api-levels-AC1352288(accessed on 9/9/2019)
Article 2:
https://blissair.com/health-effects-of-haze.htm (accessed on 9/9/2019)
Article 3:
http://activeage.co/ways-to-protect-yourself-from-the-haze/(accessed on
9/9/2019)