Air Pollution Another Threat for U.S. Troops
 Soldiers on duty in Iraq face an inhospitable environment - that of a war zone. But the geography of the country is also a health threat.
A new study suggests that high levels of fine airborne particles in Iraq may affect soldiers' respiratory health. Some air quality readings there have found fine particulate matter at levels nearly 10 times higher than those considered acceptable in the U.S.
The particles come from frequent wind storms that throw dust into the desert air, as well as from automobile exhaust. (Gasoline sold in Iraq still contains lead.) The particles contain natural substances, but also heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury.
Researchers have been collecting air samples in Baghdad since 2008. Fine particulates cause more health problems than larger particles because tiny particles can travel deeper into the lungs.
"Fine particulate matter is very, very small," says Jennifer Bell, a study co-author who is at the University of Alaska. "If you think about the size of a hair follicle, these particles are smaller than a hair follicle. The natural defenses, like the hairs in the nose, normally trap coarse particles, but these particles are so small they bypass the body's natural defenses."
Iraq's high temperatures make it difficult for soldiers to breathe through the nose. Breathing through the mouth allows those particles to make it to the lungs, where they can scar lung tissue and affect lung function.
Soldiers can wear masks to help them breathe easier, particularly during dust storms. But soldiers don't always wear a mask. "A lot of them don't wear them because it's so hot," Bell says. "It can get up to 130 degrees on some days."
The study may help raise awareness of respiratory problems such as a chronic cough in soldiers returning from duty in Iraq, says Hormoz Ashtyani, M.D., at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
Doctors who treat people who have served in places like Iraq and Afghanistan should be "sensitive to the subtle, and perhaps not clear-cut, complaints that these soldiers may have when they come back," Dr. Ashtyani says.
Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.
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Air pollution is the black cloud belching from an industrial smokestack. It's the smog that settles over certain cities, dimming the skyline. It's the smelly exhaust of an old car that burns oil.
Air pollution also can be invisible, causing lung damage, cancer, or other serious health problems in people who may not realize the potential danger of the unseen gases or particles suspended in the air.
The effects of air pollution differ from person to person. A healthy adult who is exposed to these pollutants for a short time or at low dose may not develop long-term problems. For a person with a heart or respiratory condition, however, even a small dose or a short exposure can make symptoms worse. Longer exposure or a higher dose can lead to serious illness and, in some cases, death. Children and older adults are more susceptible to air pollution than other individuals and suffer the effects at lower pollution levels.
Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.
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