As residents of Port Harcourt and its environs grapple with the black soot, the latest atmospheric challenge they have to live with, experts have warned that long-term exposure to soot poses serious health risks, and could lead to cancer and other critical health problems, which could cause premature death. According to National Cancer Institute of America, “Soot is a byproduct of the incomplete burning of organic (carbon-containing) materials, such as wood, fuel oil, plastics, and household refuse. People who work near such companies or with such machines are especially at risk of numerous respiratory diseases, with a blanket name known as pneumoconiosis.”“Pneumoconiosis is a consequence of long-term exposure to soot. Pneumoconiosis makes patients prone to other respiratory disease like pneumonia, asthma and others,” he explained. No specific therapy for pneumoconiosis cures or alters the course of the disease, though steroids are found to be beneficial.

Source: The Guardian May 27, 2018 04:41 UTC