Is it necessary to install a diffusive oxygen generator for long-term living on the plateau?
The average life expectancy in Tibet is 72.19 years, and that in Qinghai is 73.96 years. The average life expectancy in plateau areas is far lower than the national average of 78.2 years in China! Research has found that there is a linear relationship between the incidence of chronic altitude sickness and the oxygen content. The lower the oxygen content, the higher the incidence of altitude sickness. Chronic altitude sickness caused by hypoxia can also significantly reduce people's life expectancy. It is estimated that for every 1,000 meters increase in altitude, the atmospheric pressure drops by about 11.5% and the air density decreases by 9%. At an altitude of 4,270 meters, the oxygen pressure is only 58% of that at sea level.
The low-pressure and hypoxia on the plateau can lead to a decrease in arterial partial pressure of oxygen and arterial oxygen saturation, causing hypoxemia, which can damage the human respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and central nervous system, resulting in a decline in physical function, cognitive ability, etc., and in severe cases, it can even cause life-threatening conditions such as cerebral edema and pulmonary edema.
The "Oxygen into Homes" livelihood project on the plateau: The low-pressure and hypoxia on the plateau can affect students' learning efficiency, people's health and life expectancy, and labor ability, etc., thereby affecting people's livelihood and social and economic development. The state and local governments attach great importance to it and vigorously promote the "Oxygen into Homes" as an important livelihood project. In 2020, the Seventh Central Symposium on Work in Tibet required that improving people's livelihood and uniting people's hearts must be taken as the starting point and ending point of economic and social development. The local government has regarded the oxygen supply project as a major livelihood project. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the construction plan of the oxygen supply project in Tibet has reached 10 billion yuan. The state strongly supports the oxygen supply project in Tibet, allowing oxygen to enter thousands of households on the plateau, which can improve the learning efficiency of students in plateau areas, enhance the education level and cultural quality of the people on the plateau, and safeguard the physical health of the people on the plateau. On this basis, the Party Committee and government of Tibet have vigorously promoted the "oxygen supply service into families", striving to make healthy oxygen use enter thousands of households on the plateau like household air conditioners. At present, the pilot projects of this project in Lhasa, Shigatse and other places have achieved initial results.
Currently, the common ways to solve indoor hypoxia on the plateau are nasal inhalation and diffusive oxygen supply. Among them, nasal inhalation oxygen supply means that users can obtain and inhale oxygen by connecting nasal plugs, nasal catheters or masks. And diffusive oxygen supply is to increase the oxygen content in the air by supplementing high-purity oxygen into a specific space. Its working method is somewhat similar to that of central air conditioning. First, oxygen is produced by PSA oxygen generation equipment, and then a diffusive oxygen supply terminal is used to obtain an oxygen-enriched environment. Long-term use of diffusive oxygen supply will not cause adverse reactions, nor will there be any so-called dependence, because there is not much difference between the oxygen-enriched environment and the outdoor environment. However, it is directly effective in combating altitude sickness.
