Page 51 - Demo

49Toxic potency-adjusted control of air pollutionAirborne particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of many chemical compounds that negatively impact human health. For regulatory purposes, these particles are categorised by their diameter. PM2.5 fine particles are likely to travel deep into human lung tissue, causing damage and inflammation. Exposure to PM2.5 particles is linked to heart disease, bronchitis, other respiratory issues, and even premature death. Prof. Li and Dr Jin, who have been researching PM2.5particles for many years, identified an important but overlooked issue: people exposed to similar mass concentrations of these particles experience varying health impacts. To tackle this neglected issue and improve regulation of PM2.5particles, the team developed a novel mixture%u2013toxicity modelling approach to quantify how exposure to PM2.5 particles from different sources results in different toxicity levels among those inhaling them. They found PM2.5 particles emitted from the residential sector are about 10 times more toxic than those emitted from coal-fired power plants. This is because the incomplete burning of solid fuels in household stoves generates much higher concentrations of carbonaceous matter. The team suggests adjusting air pollution control regulations based on the toxicity level of the PM2.5 particles in question. This means incomplete combustion sources should be controlled more strictly.TAKE A DEEP BREATH