Malaysians queue for clean air lifelines as haze sends purifier demand into overdrive

The worsening toxic haze from Indonesian wildfires has significantly increased the demand for oxygen tanks and air purifiers across Southeast Asia, as consumers rush to safeguard indoor air quality.

Companies like AA Alive report surging sales of oxygen equipment, driven by rising respiratory issues and school closures due to prolonged exposure.

Air purifier retailers, including Courts and Gain City, have observed a substantial spike in sales, reflecting heightened consumer awareness and urgency to mitigate health risks associated with the haze.

Experts warn of long-term health repercussions, particularly for children, and stress the importance of reducing exposure to protect public health.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Toxic haze from wildfires burning in Indonesia has spiked a demand for oxygen tanks and air purifiers across the region, manufacturers say, as they work the clock on equipment providing life-saving clean air.

The months-long haze has blanketed parts of South-east Asia, forcing school closures and fuelling a rise in respiratory complaints. Families are now rushing to buy devices to keep indoor air clean.

At AA Alive, a medical equipment company based just outside of Kuala Lumpur, employees were working at full capacity to deliver oxygen bottles, with officials saying sales were rocketing.

“We have seen a 35 per cent increase in sales because of the haze,” Rafina Firdaus, a member of AA Alive’s sales team, told AFP during a visit.

“When I started in the industry, I was shocked to see so many patients who need oxygen tanks,” she said.

The company supplies patients with both oxygen tanks and oxygen concentrators.

An oxygen tank can run for about three hours of continuous use, while a concentrator can be used for about 24 hours.

Md Noor Bin Bujang, 69, spent more than a month in hospital and received his first oxygen concentrator on Thursday evening.

He told AFP that without the oxygen-providing equipment he would have “a shortness of breath, especially with the haze”.

Mubassar Khan, a 26-year-old AA Alive technician, said an oxygen concentrator’s filter is normally replaced after 1,000 hours of usage, but the haze’s pollutants have halved its lifespan.

AA Alive currently delivers around 40 rental units per day, and Firdaus said the company was able to meet the increased demands caused by the haze because they have “already experienced it every year”.

AFP journalists saw close to 60 oxygen concentrators and around 20 oxygen tanks that were due for a service or replacement at the company’s showroom and warehouse.

Experts warn prolonged exposure to haze pollutants could cause inflammation that is harmful to the body, with one classifying the situation as a “multisystem public health threat”.

Juliana Jalaludin, a professor specialising in environmental health at Universiti Putra Malaysia, told AFP she was worried that future generations could “experience a higher burden of respiratory illnesses if they are repeatedly exposed to haze and air pollution, particularly during childhood”.

“The key is to reduce exposure now to protect children’s health and prevent long-term consequences for future generations,” Juliana said.

Air purifier retailers, meanwhile, said sales have jumped since air quality levels started to dip in August during haze conditions.

“Recently, we have seen a 600 per cent increase in sale volume of air purifier sales... from September 28 to October 12, compared to the same period last year,” regional consumer electronics retailer Courts said in a statement.

“Customers are becoming more conscious of indoor air quality and are actively exploring solutions to maintain a healthier and more comfortable home environment,” a Courts spokesperson told AFP.

Singapore-based retailer Gain City said it has also seen “a significant increase in air-purifier demand”.

“Demand began picking up in recent weeks, with a particularly sharp surge from October 9. Sales have since risen to nine times the level recorded at the start of the haze season in August,” the company said. — AFP

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印尼山火造成的有毒烟雾日益严重，导致东南亚地区对氧气罐和空气净化器的需求大幅增加，消费者纷纷采取措施保障室内空气质量。

AA Alive 等公司报告称，受呼吸系统疾病增多和学校因长期暴露于高氧环境而关闭的影响，氧气设备的销量激增。

包括 Courts 和 Gain City 在内的空气净化器零售商都观察到销量大幅飙升，这反映出消费者对雾霾相关健康风险的认识和应对的紧迫性有所提高。

专家警告说，长期接触会对健康造成影响，尤其是对儿童，并强调减少接触以保护公众健康的重要性。

吉隆坡，10 月 18 日讯——制造商表示，印尼野火产生的有毒烟雾导致该地区对氧气罐和空气净化器的需求激增，他们正争分夺秒地生产能够提供救命清洁空气的设备。

持续数月的雾霾笼罩了东南亚部分地区，导致学校停课，呼吸系统疾病病例激增。许多家庭现在都在争相购买室内空气净化设备。

位于吉隆坡郊外的医疗设备公司 AA Alive 的员工正在全力以赴地运送氧气瓶，公司官员表示销售额正在飙升。

“由于雾霾，我们的销售额增长了 35%。” AA Alive 销售团队成员 Rafina Firdaus 在接受法新社采访时表示。

“我刚入行的时候，看到那么多病人需要氧气罐，感到非常震惊，”她说。

该公司为患者提供氧气罐和氧气浓缩器。

氧气罐可以连续使用约 3 小时，而制氧机可以连续使用约 24 小时。

69岁的Md Noor Bin Bujang在医院待了一个多月，于周四晚上收到了他的第一台氧气浓缩器。

他告诉法新社，如果没有供氧设备，他会“呼吸困难，尤其是在雾霾天气下”。

26 岁的 AA Alive 技术员 Mubassar Khan 表示，氧气浓缩器的过滤器通常在使用 1000 小时后更换，但雾霾污染物使其使用寿命缩短了一半。

AA Alive 目前每天提供约 40 辆租赁车辆，Firdaus 表示，该公司能够满足雾霾造成的需求增加，因为他们“每年都经历过这种情况”。

法新社记者在该公司展厅和仓库看到近 60 台氧气浓缩器和约 20 个氧气罐，这些设备都需要维修或更换。

专家警告说，长期暴露于雾霾污染物中可能导致对身体有害的炎症，其中一位专家将这种情况归类为“多系统公共卫生威胁”。

马来西亚博特拉大学环境健康专业教授朱莉安娜·贾拉鲁丁告诉法新社，她担心如果后代反复接触雾霾和空气污染，尤其是在儿童时期，他们可能会“承受更严重的呼吸系统疾病负担”。

“关键在于现在就减少接触，以保护儿童的健康，并防止对子孙后代造成长期影响，”朱莉安娜说。

与此同时，空气净化器零售商表示，自 8 月份雾霾天气导致空气质量下降以来，销量大幅增长。

“最近，我们看到空气净化器的销量增长了 600%……从 9 月 28 日到 10 月 12 日，与去年同期相比，”区域消费电子零售商 Courts 在一份声明中表示。

Courts 的一位发言人告诉法新社：“顾客越来越关注室内空气质量，并积极寻求解决方案，以保持更健康、更舒适的家居环境。”

总部位于新加坡的零售商 Gain City 表示，他们也看到了“空气净化器需求的显著增长”。

该公司表示：“近几周来，需求开始回升，尤其自10月9日起出现大幅增长。此后，销量已飙升至8月初雾霾季开始时的九倍。”——法新社

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