The Almaty Air Initiative foundation conducted an experiment in Almaty to clearly demonstrate how polluted air can enter the human body. Kursiv LifeStyle reports on what was discovered under a microscope after an ordinary walk around the city, according to infohub.kz.
Five volunteers took part in the study. In the morning, they came to a laboratory where each had an initial blood sample taken. After that, the participants went for a walk along busy streets in the area bounded by Satpaev, Zharokov, Abai, and Rozybakiev streets.
Two volunteers walked the route wearing KN95 protective respirators, while the others went without masks. During the walk, a sensor recorded PM2.5 particle concentrations at 10–15 µg/m³.
Upon returning, the participants' blood was drawn again and examined under a light microscope. Before the walk, no obvious foreign elements were found in the samples. After the walk, those who had not worn respirators showed dark specks on individual red blood cells.
As the foundation's head, Zhuldyz Saulebekova, noted, air pollution does not stay outside. The tiniest particles can penetrate the bloodstream and be carried throughout the body.
"Research by Queen Mary University of London and the Almaty Air Initiative experiment confirm that after being near a busy road, a person's blood is highly likely to contain carbon- and metal-containing particles typical of exhaust fumes, brake and tire wear," the Almaty Air Initiative writes.
Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote about how Almaty's air quality according to government agencies differs from other measurements. In some cases, the difference between readings reaches 27 times.