Monday, October 1st 2007, by Jay R for 121motor
A SPEAKER FROM THE HEALTH A DEMONSTRATION ON THE USE OF SAFETY
MINISTRY AT THE CONGRESS MASKS WHEN HANDLING DANGEROUS FUMES
ABOUT NOXIOUS FUMES
DIESEL fumes not only offensively assault the nostrils when breathed in but there is a another downside to the noxious fumes.
American Scientists working with their counterparts in Umea University in Sweden have discovered air polluted with diesel fumes especially in areas where vehicular emission is high can trigger heart attacks and strokes.
Thousands of diesel-related heart attacks and strokes are registered each year The New England Journal of Medicine published in its latest issue.
The findings reported that exhaust fumes increase stress on the heart during exercise and can account for rise in cardiac deaths and strokes. According to the journal, the World Health Organization has estimated that diesel-infused air pollution cause 800,000 premature deaths worldwide and the study asserts that prolonged exposure to traffic emissions can increase heart disease and stroke mortality by 76%.
The study also revealed that inhaling diesel fumes can cause a three-fold increase in stress on the heart by altering its electrical dynamics. The risk of blood clots is also heightened and this could cause sudden blockages in arterial and other vascular systems triggering strokes.
The random study which tested 20 men who were asked to inhale diluted diesel exhaust while riding an exercise bike showed that air polluted with diesel fumes reduces the amount of oxygen available to the heart during exercise.
It was established that diesel engines generated 10 to 100 times more pollutant particles and the number of diesel-powered vehicles could pressure enforcement of pollution filters to be fitted to cars.
However heart patients are still encouraged to exercise regularly but away from places where there is a high incidence of diesel emission in the air.
Meanwhile closer home during a congress hosted by NIOSH on occupational safety and health several speakers raised the issue of hazardous emissions from the automotive and petro-chemical industries.
Vehicular diesel and other fuel emission into the atmosphere especially in large urban cities were also raised by several speakers at the congress themed Shaping the OSHA Culture. There was also a call to enforce the use of protective masks for employees working in industries dealing largely with petrol, diesel and other fuel products.