Air & Water Hazards In China:
How Bad Is It, &
How To Stay Healthy
About Me…
 I am Dr Richard Saint Cyr, a family medicine
doctor, from America
 I work at Beijing United Family Hospital
 Director of Marketing, UFH
 My health website: MyHealthBeijing.com
 Weibo: weibo.com/daniudaifu
Let’s Review Pollution…
The Common Air Pollutants
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Particulates (PM10, PM2.5)
Nitric oxide/dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Ozone
Carbon monoxide
The worst one is:
small particles
(PM = particular
matter)
These Are Very, Very Small…
Health Effects
 Short-term (days):
– Heart attacks
– Asthma
– Bronchitis
 Long-term (>8 years):
– COPD/emphysema
– Heart Disease
– Cancer
London in
1952!
The Great London Smog of 1952
 It was a bad combo of cold weather + more
coal burning + inversion layer of air…
 = disaster for 5 days…
– pollution at 3,000-14,000! (Beijing is usually
~140)
– 12,000 premature deaths
– 100,000 illnesses
Many People Died In Days
USC Children’s Health Study
 (http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/chs/chs.htm),
following thousands of kids in smoggy Los
Angeles over 9 years, from 4th to 12th grade.
 In Los Angeles, the average annual Air Quality
Index is around 50, which is almost 3 times lower
than here in Beijing.
“Air Pollution Harms Children's
Lungs for Life”
 - Children exposed to higher levels of particulate
matter, nitrogen dioxide, acid vapor and elemental carbon,
had significantly lower lung function at age 18…
– N Engl J Med 2004; 351:1057 – 1067
 Children that were exposed to current levels of air pollution had
significantly reduced lung growth and development when exposed to
higher levels of acid vapor, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and particulate
matter …
– Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002; 166:76 - 84
 Children living in high ozone communities who actively participated in
several sports were more likely to develop asthma than children in
these communities not participating in sports.
– Lancet 2002; 359:386 - 391
Closer Look:
 ”The estimated proportion of 18-year-old
subjects with a low FEV1 (defined as a ratio
of observed to expected FEV1 of less than
80 percent) was 4.9 times as great at the
highest level of exposure to PM2.5 as at the
lowest level of exposure (7.9 percent vs. 1.6
percent, P=0.002).”
N Engl J Med 2004; 351:1057 – 1067
Long-Term Effects: Heart Disease
 A curved line (maxes/tapers off)
 Relative risk in Beijing air: 1.32 (ie, 32% increase)
– 1ppd smoker: ~2.3 relative risk (230% increase)
http://t.cn/StQNu6
Long-Term Effects: Lung Cancer
 Linear; NO MAX
– 1ppd smoker: ~21 risk (2100% increase)
– Beijing air: 1.49 risk (49% increase)
http://t.cn/StQNu6
Do You Like Those Odds?
Conclusions?
 Air pollution risk is real – but small?
 Risk:
– Individual = small effect
– Population = large effect
Smoking is really, really bad
Compare To Other Risks
Weight change (Kg)
Cardiovascular Risk: Meet Joe
Myhealthcheckup.com
How Bad Is Beijing?
World Cities & PM10 Levels (2004-5)
Beijing
China
US
WHO
A Day In Beijing Is Like Smoking
How Many Cigarettes?
 1/6?
 1?
 5?
 10?
 20?
= 1/6 Of A Cigarette!
How To Protect Yourself
 Indoor protection
– Air purifiers
– Plants
 Outdoor protection
– Avoidance AQI >200
– N95 masks
– School action plans
Don’t Forget: 90%
of Your Life Is
Spent Indoors!
Schools Should Have Action Plans!
In Other Words:
Any AQI over 200 = NO
OUTDOOR SCHOOL
ACTIVITIES
Air Purifiers Really Work!
 My own tests: reduce PM0.3 95-99%
 Imported brands: IQAir, Blueair, Alen…
– Must be true HEPA!
– Cheap? Too good to be true…
 Local?
Maybe Helps The Heart?

An Air Filter Intervention Study of Endothelial Function among Healthy
Adults in a Woodsmoke-impacted Community
 Conclusions:
– improved endothelial function
– decreased concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers (CRP)
 So…less disease? Maybe…probably…
http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/content/183/9/1222.abstract?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&full
text=HEPA+pollution&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
Indoor Plants Help!
Indoor Plants
 Areca Palm (风尾竹, feng(4)wei(3)zhu(2), about RMB 180
each) – Efficiently converts CO2 to oxygen.
 Mother-in-Law Tongue (虎皮兰, hu(3)pi(2)lan(2), about
RMB 50 each)
– Efficiently converts CO2 to oxygen at night
– Good for bedrooms.
 Money Plant （绿萝, lv(4)luo(2), about RMB 150 each）
– Removes formaldehydes and other volatile chemicals.
Food Safety: The Main
Problems
 Bacteria
– Infections
– Food poisoning
 Chemicals & Pesticides
– Cause cancer?
– Endocrine problems
– Allergic reactions
Your Goals
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Minimize your exposure to toxins
Control what & where you eat
Control what & where you buy
Live SUPER-healthy
– Antioxidant lifestyle
– Don’t smoke
– Exercise
– Stay slim
Water Safety
Big Water jugs? Maybe not
– 50% counterfeit water
– Bacteria in water
– Cheap plastic leaches into it
– Good brand? Beijing Kangtai Gaoke Co.
Install A Water Filter
 Tap water – add a filter
– Aquasana highly rated (many others)
Food Handling Is A Major Issue!
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/5keys/en/index.html
c
Wash Your Produce!
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Store brands
Citrus
Salt
Vinegar
Chlorine
Basic Tips
 If it can be peeled, peel it!
– Less nutrients
 Leafy greens -- SOAK
Thank You
www.myhealthbeijing.com
Weibo.com/daniudaifu
Richard.saintcyr@ufh.com.cn
United Family Healthcare
Address: #2 Jiangtai Lu, Chaoyang District,
Beijing 100015 P.R.C.
Tel: +86 (10) 5927 7000 Fax: +86 (10) 5927 7200
24 Hour Emergency Hotline: (010) 5927 7120
www.ufh.com.cn
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