dec 14 
Question by Worried Mom
Send this post to a friendMy daughter is planning to spend her spring semester in Beijing. I have been reading about the dangerous air quality in China, and in Beijing in particular, and I am very concerned about her safety. My questions is this: can a semester breathing unsafe air cause permanent lung damage or cancer? In other words, how long must the exposure be to cause lasting injury or disease?
Comments (2) |  |
1. 12/18/2007 04:16:07 PM
It's great that your daughter will be doing a semester abroad. That's an excellent opportunity for her to learn about important global issues. There's certainly a lot to learn about the environment in Beijing. Poor air quality is just one of the many challenges resulting from rapid industrialization in China.
It's hard to say how high the health risks are from spending a few months in Beijing, but I'd estimate that it's like living with a roommate who is a heavy smoker -- except that you can't ask the roommate to smoke outside! People with asthma often find that their symptoms get a lot worse, and people without asthma may develop a cough and some other respiratory symptoms (such as a burning sensation in the chest), which usually resolve once they come home. There is an increased lifetime cancer risk associated with air pollution, however the likelihood that your daughter will develop cancer just from a semester abroad is extremely unlikely.
If you are interested in learning more about China's budding environmental movement, read this interview with Alex Wang, head of NRDC's Environmental Law Project in Beijing.
It's hard to say how high the health risks are from spending a few months in Beijing, but I'd estimate that it's like living with a roommate who is a heavy smoker -- except that you can't ask the roommate to smoke outside! People with asthma often find that their symptoms get a lot worse, and people without asthma may develop a cough and some other respiratory symptoms (such as a burning sensation in the chest), which usually resolve once they come home. There is an increased lifetime cancer risk associated with air pollution, however the likelihood that your daughter will develop cancer just from a semester abroad is extremely unlikely.
If you are interested in learning more about China's budding environmental movement, read this interview with Alex Wang, head of NRDC's Environmental Law Project in Beijing.
2. 12/30/2007 03:00:05 PM
Thanks for your response to my previous posting about the health risk caused by the air pollution in Beijing. Other than wearing a gas mask, is there anything my daughter could do, such as use an air purifier in her dorm room, to reduce her exposure? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
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