Gasping for Clean Air: Everything You Need to Know About the Danger of Haze

As mid-year rolls around, many of us living in Southeast Asia will know that the time of the haze has come. Dark skies and putrid smoke emerge to cause various environmental and health problems. In recent years, haze situations have increasingly become so severe that schools have to be shut. What causes this? And how can we fight it? Here’s what you need to know. 

The haze we see in our skies is caused by tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere. At high concentrations, these particles scatter and absorb sunlight resulting in diminished visibility thereby giving the atmosphere a characteristic darker appearance.

The particles that cause haze originate from multiple sources, some of which are natural and some man made. Natural sources include the ocean, forest and ground surface.

However, most of the particulates are a result of human activities which include open burning, forest fires, land clearing, vehicular emissions and the combustion of fossil fuels due to factory activity.

The haze in our region is mainly attributed to illegal agricultural fires due to industrial-scale slash-and-burn practices that occur regularly, generally between July and October. This is likely because burned land can be sold illegally at a higher price, and eventually used for activities including oil palm and pulpwood production. Burning is also cheaper and faster compared to cutting and clearing using excavators or other machines.

In the short-term, haze can cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat in healthy individuals. The heart and lungs are particularly affected by particles in haze, raising risks for those with heart or lung conditions.

The long-term risks associated with exposure to fine particles can cause faster rate of thickening of the arteries compared to others, promoting the development of vascular diseases. Haze can also increase the risk of death by cardiovascular disease and reduces life expectancy by several months to a few years.

Vulnerable groups like babies and the elderly are the most at risk. For babies, especially newborns, their respiratory system is susceptible to the poor air quality. Babies could develop asthma or bronchitis if their respiratory system is affected. The haze might also irritate a baby’s nose, throat, airways, skin, eyes and develop skin rashes.

The elderly are greatly affected by the haze as their lungs tend to be weaker. They may experience serious sneezing and coughing conditions. Those with medical conditions such chronic and lung diseases will be greatly affected once the haze reaches critical levels.