Health Concerns Rise As US, Canada, and UK Come Under The Blanket Of Thick, Dense, Toxic Fog

As winter peaks in several regions, the fog says for most of the day and amid this, residents of the United States, Canada and the UK have reported a mysterious, dense fog. The residents posted videos online and claim that the fog has a "burning chemical-like smell". With the social media being flooded with the videos, many are comparing this event with last year, when a thick fog affected over 70 million people in the US and Mexico.

Last year too, near January, a thick dense fog covered the skies of the US and parts of the mid-Atlantic, leaving over 70 million under fog alerts.

Right now, the fog is impacting several US states, including Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Minnesota, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma. Some of these states have also issued a fog alert.

Reported in the Daily Mail, a Florida resident said, "Within about an hour, I kept sneezing over and over for three hours, and my eyes were really puffy." She also added feeling feverish and experiencing stomach cramps.

Many on TikTok shared the video of the dense fog, calling it "toxic". The people also shared: "The weirdest part is the taste and smell. It smells like after you set off a bunch of fireworks, and the air tastes toxic. It is super weird". Someone else on X, previously Twitter claimed that the air smells like burning plastic.

While there are speculations on chemical weapons, authorities are yet to confirm the source and the cause of this fog, that smells toxic, as claimed by people.

ALSO READ: Air Pollution Is Causing Health Issues Not Seen Before

Pollution is related with many health risks, a thick fog during winter may not be a reason for concern. However, the residents claiming it to be toxic due to the smell or the adverse affects on their health may lead to it being a cause of concerns. Also, new research highlights a disturbing connection between long-term exposure to air pollution and a heightened danger of deadly blood clots, a condition which is underappreciated but also poses significant health risks. A study, published in Blood, examined how long-term exposure to some pollutants, including fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric oxide, may heighten the chances of VTE hospitalizations.

The outcomes showed that the individuals who had exposure to pollutants in the higher quartile had:

Another 2021 study titled Effect of Air Pollution on Obesity in Children: A systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, there is a connection between air pollution and weight gain through biological behavioral mechanism. The major pollutants causing obesity are nitrous oxides, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter. These could lead to systematic inflammation and metabolic disturbances, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. The study mentions that fine particulate matter [PM2.5], when it enters our body, it influences the metabolism rates.

A different study published in the JAMA Network Open, stated that higher levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure can increase the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.