7 Most Underrated Health Hazards in China

7 Most Underrated Health Hazards in China
May 24, 2013 By Andrea Scarlatelli , eChinacities.com

Everyone knows there are certain things to watch out for here in China: food poisoning, tap water, anyone behind the wheel of a car. But there are also plenty of underrated health hazards that don't seem to get quite the attention they should. Read on for some of China's lurking menaces.

1) What: Dirty filters

Why it's a health hazard: Air conditioning and heating units can be a lifesaver here during the sweltering summers and frigid winters. But when you don't change your filters every season, the invisible pollutants in the air build up inside, essentially blowing all that gunk right back out. That means dust mites, smoke, mould, pollen, and pet dander are all being inhaled – by you.

Hazardous effects: Chronic respiratory diseases like bronchitis and asthma, headaches, dry eyes, fatigue, nausea, nasal congestion.

Protecting yourself:
-  Change your filter every season

2) What: Mould

Why it's a health hazard: Considered by the World Health Organization to be "one of the three highest risk areas to public health," mould is a fungus that grows pretty much everywhere. The particularly dangerous thing about this is that most foreigners are looking for it in the wrong places and, therefore, don't think it's in their homes. In the West, mould tends to accumulate in basements, under carpets, or in walls. However, these are basically moot points in China, as there are usually no basements, full floor carpeting is rare, and walls tend to be made of pure cement. So what does cause mould here? Poor ventilation, high humidity in the air, and frequently shoddy construction in new apartment buildings. Look for mould where moisture accumulates, such as windowsills, the corners of bathtubs, and along the wall joint.

Hazardous effects: Wheezing and/or shortness of breath; headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation, coughing, respiratory congestion, allergic reactions. Mycotoxins – or "black mould" – is the worst culprit, sometimes even causing death.

Protecting yourself:
- Use bleach based cleaners in particularly high-risk areas
- Keep windows open when possible to encourage air flow
- Clean often

3) What: Mosquitoes

Why they're a health hazard: Although mosquitoes are everywhere in the summer, for those in southwest China, especially in areas with more tropical-like weather, such as Yunnan and Hainan, they pose a particular risk. The anopheles mosquito is responsible for carrying the parasite that causes malaria, and infection of the blood and liver. The black and white striped mosquitoes, called aedesaegypti, are the ones who can potentially carry dengue fever, a virus that causes malaria-like symptoms. These are found throughout China, but are more populous in the southwest.

Hazardous effects: Malaria symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, and extreme fatigue. Dengue fever causes similar symptoms, with the addition of a rash that can spread across the face and limbs. A particular strain of dengue fever, known as dengue haemorrhagic fever, is more serious and causes excessive bleeding and bruising.

Protecting yourself:
-
Wear mosquito repellent when outdoors
- Use a mosquito net while sleeping
- Shut the windows when possible

4) What: Indoor house paint

Why it's a health hazard: A large amount of indoor house paint used in China contains lead, one of the most common paediatric health problems in China. In fact, lead poisoning is "a public health emergency" according to recent academic and media reports (www.hrw.org). A 2004 study found that those living in both industrial cities, like those in Zhejiang province, and non-industrial cities, like those in Sichuan province, all had elevated blood lead levels to the point of causing long term harmful effects.

Hazardous effects: Pregnant women exposed to lead can experience premature birth, low birth weight, or damage to the foetus. Exposure to children results in nervous and digestive system defects, which can be especially devastating considering children absorb up to 50% of lead they're exposed to (compared to 10-15% for adults).

Protecting yourself:
- Drink filtered water
- Use imported paint when possible

5) What: Drywall

Why it's a health hazard: A large proportion of drywall in China contains excess amounts of sulphur. This may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but consider this: high levels of sulphur cause a unique "rotten egg" smell, can blacken and corrode metal, and cause air conditioning units and other appliances to stop working. That's a lot of havoc for such a small element.

Hazardous effects: Besides the annoyances mentioned above? Shoddy drywall can cause asthma, coughing, headaches, sore throat and irritated eyes.   

Protecting yourself:
- Be aware of odd smells in the apartment or corroded metal in new apartments
- If detected, call an inspector to test sulphur levels

6) What: Seafood

Why it's a health hazard:

The last time you heard the word "formaldehyde" was probably either in your high school science class or the latest episode of "CIS." Well, it turns out that a lot of food contains a small amount of this natural metabolite, like shiitake mushrooms, squid, sea cucumber, red shrimp, scallops, and octopus. Their formaldehyde levels usually hover around 1.75mg/kg, which is perfectly safe for consumption. The addition of synthetic formaldehyde as a food preservative, however, is common practice here. And according to seven independent studies performed in Fuzhou, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shangqiu, Yantai, and Shanghai, "marine products illegally treated with formaldehyde preservatives had a formaldehyde content exceeding 300 mg/kg, with extreme cases reaching 4250 mg/kg" (www.berkeley.edu).

Hazardous effects:
Short term effects include irritated eyes; tearing; sneezing; coughing; chest congestion; fever; heartburn; and fatigue. Symptoms from exposure to formaldehyde over a long period include coughing, wheezing, congestion, loss of smell, eye and skin irritation.

Protecting yourself:
-
Limit the amount of seafood you eat
- Research where your seafood is "really" coming from

7) What: Fruits and vegetables

Why it's a health hazard:
So, remember our pesky little friend mentioned above called "formaldehyde"? It just so happens that the same problem that plagues our fish population also happens to contaminate our fruits and vegetables in China. Remember that roughly 1.75mg/kg is our baseline, and the fact that in 2007 over sixty fruits and vegetables (those with thin skins are most affected) were found to contain around 2.74mg/kg is a bit worrying (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The fact that, once refrigerated, these formaldehyde levels shot up to around three times that is very worrying.

Hazardous effects:
Short term effects include irritated eyes; tearing; sneezing; coughing; chest congestion; fever; heartburn; and fatigue. Symptoms from exposure to formaldehyde over a long period include coughing, wheezing, congestion, loss of smell, eye and skin irritation.

Protecting yourself:
-
Buy fruit and vegetables with thick skins
- Buy fruits and vegetables with peels that need to be removed before eating

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Keywords: health hazards China safety China healthy in China food problems China common health problems China

1 Comments

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sharkies

Another repost of a crap article.

May 24, 2013 08:04 Report Abuse