"There is a lack of studies to help us identify areas exposed to persistent pollutants"
"They are expensive studies because they require complex chemical analysis, material and specialized personnel and this costs money ”This is the reason why, according to researcher Juan Pedro Arrebola, we do not have a map in Andalusia that determines which are the areas in which people it is more exposed to toxic pollutants. This expert is a member of the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada, which is studying the effects of these pollutants on health and recommends leading "a life as healthy as possible".
Opting for organic products, having healthy habits, exercising or avoiding obesity and avoiding, as far as possible, living in areas with obvious contamination are some tips that Juan Pedro Arrebola provides us, who, however, affirms that it is not possible to speak of causes and direct effects because we are exposed to a small amount of toxins but permanently.
Environmental groups continually denounce that these diseases can be prevented and deaths preventable. That we can act for better public health by reducing pollution and complying with established limits. Even so, one of the most serious problems in this regard is that many of the suspended particles that we breathe that negatively affect us are persistent elements. Our body is unable to eliminate them, they accumulate in our fatty tissues and stay with us. Some of these elements act as hormonal disruptors or endocrine disruptors. That is, they act altering hormonal functions and causing, for example, fertility problems or deficiencies in the immune system.
And we are not just talking about the particles we breathe. The air around us also affects the food we eat. Animals also breathe and the more fat in the food they produce, the more likely we are to ingest those persistent toxic elements that have accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals or fish that we consume. This is one of the main theses of a team of researchers from the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada, led by Juan Pedro Arrebola with whom we have talked this week.
Exposure to atmospheric particles increases the risk of death from heart and respiratory diseases and from lung cancer. Environmental groups have long denounced the effects that poor air quality has on our health. The reports of Ecologists in Action, for example, conclude that 9 out of 10 Andalusians breathe air that exceeds the pollution limits established by the World Health Organization.