By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

It has been proven that Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in the air enters the human body by diffusion into the blood, causing an inflammatory response all over the body and thickening blood vessels, Environment Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said.

He said that the relationship between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and blood lipids have been investigated into.  

The World Health Organization (WHO) has calculated that seven million people in the world die annually due to air pollution.  

According to the WHO report, hematological abnormalities might occur because of these toxic particles, but only a few studies on this issue have been reported.   
“According to the Cochrane guidance, we performed a systematic review of the relationship between exposure to PM2.5 and the risk of hematological disorders.   
“Anaemia was found among the children and elderly populations with 2 to 5-year PM2.5 exposure. Young children of mothers exposed to air pollution during pregnancy had a higher incidence of leukaemia, similar to the elderly.  “Supporting these data, outdoor workers also showed abnormal epigenetic modifications after exposure to very high PM2.5 levels. Adults living in high PM2.5 areas for 2 years were more likely to develop thrombocytosis.  

“Finally, elderly populations with 7- to 8-year PM2.5 exposure showed increased risks of venous thromboembolism. In conclusion, associations between PM2.5 and haematological aberrations among high-risk people with long-term exposure were reported,” added Dr. Jasinghe.