According to the National Environment Agency of Singapore, PM2.5 is the dominant pollutant during haze episodes.
PM2.5 refers to airborne particulate matter (PM) that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, as stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to the US agency, numerous scientific studies have linked exposure to PM2.5 particle pollution to a variety of problems, including:
– increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing,
– decreased lung function,
– aggravated asthma,
– episodes of irregular heartbeats,
– nonfatal heart attacks, and
– premature death in people with heart or lung disease.
People with previously known heart or lung diseases, children, and the elderly are the most likely to be affected by particle pollution exposure.