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Introduction: Air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone.Few studies have revealed the specific needs of the residents; hence the thought demand for residents to the knowledge of air pollution information was explored using a questionnaire. Aims and objective: To develop awareness and understanding of pollution hazards and their prevention among the Kolar population on air pollution by using a questionnaire. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 subjects in Kolar town by Purposive sampling technique with a validated, standard questionnaire by interview method and collected was analysed by SPSS version 20. Results: Majority gained knowledge on air pollution from mobile phones and television, While a few said from the public and newspapers. Regarding attitude, 91% agreed that air pollution affected their health and the environment, with 116 (96.7%) 106 (88.3%) saying it from outdoor and indoor activities respectively. Statistically significant association was established between knowledge gained among educators with (P=0.004) and attitude toward outdoor air pollution with (P=0.001) and changes in behavioural patterns with (P=0.042). Conclusion: This work served as a starting point for a more timely and complete survey on air pollution and its relation to health and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Impact of mining on environmental degradation affecting water, soil, and air is established. With the recognition that air pollution is the most important cause for noncommunicable cause for mortality and women as a gender at higher susceptibility to lung dysfunction, it was necessary to make a start to understand the detrimental effect of mine tailing on ambient air pollution almost two decades after closure and its effect on the vulnerable women residents. Materials and Methods: After institutional ethical clearance and informed consent, 258 females between the age of 18 and 60 years living in the gold mining town for over 3 years were selected. Respiratory symptoms were assessed using the American Thoracic Society questionnaire and lung functions of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and FEV1/FVC% using computerized spirometer. Dust samples were analyzed for particulate matter concentration (PM) by gravimetric method. Results: The average PM concentration in the mining area was 1.491±0.737 mg/m. Of the respiratory symptoms, complaints of cough were 34%, breathlessness 31%, phlegm 30%, and asthma 20%. FVC, FEV1, and PEFR were 1.3157 ± 0.487 L/s, 1.2500 ± 0.4850 L/s, and 2.611 ± 1.185 L/s, respectively. FEV/FEV1 was 93.650 ± 9.2733%. Conclusion: Mine tailing contributed to ambient air pollution, which has significantly decreased lung functions in the local women residents and produced the restrictive type of lung abnormality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic inhalation of dust impairs lung function and may cause respiratory symptoms. Very little attention has been paid to the health of community exposed to dust raised by mine tailing which is deposited for many years without precautionary measures. Therefore, a study of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), oxygen saturation (SPO2), and their control groups in Kolar Gold Fields and Kolar was carried out. Materials and Methods: Ventilatory function tests were done using 400 exposed community participants with the unexposed of same from Kolar who stayed in the mine tailing town for >3 years and aged 18-60 years. Their weight and height were taken and matched with controls who were not exposed to any known air pollutant. The percentage of SPO2 of both the participants and their control population was determined using a pulse oximeter. Results: Respirable dust level in the test sites was 1.492 ± 0.336 mg/m³ and it was significant with the control sites, which was 0.531 ± 0.783 mg/m³ with P < 0.05. There was highly significant difference in the mean values of SPO2, pulse rate, and PEFR between the test and control participants with P < 0.001. Conclusion: There is an increase in air pollution by increase in particulate matter <2.5 in the gold mining township, and the residents here had decreased PEFR, decreased SPO2, and increased pulse rate. This proves that the mine tailing community people without precautionary measures may predispose to respiratory symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]