According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some 249 thousand premature deaths were attributable to outdoor air pollution and another 83 thousand premature deaths were attributable to the use of solid fuels for household energy (household air pollution)
In addition, short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon are powerful climate forcers with potential negative consequences on global warming and its associated health impact. Everyone can be exposed to air pollution. However, exposure may vary significantly among different population groups and geographic areas.
People living near busy roads or industrial sites, for example, often are exposed to higher levels of outdoor air pollution than others, while those who live in households that rely on solid fuels for energy often bear the brunt of exposure to household air pollution.
In some instances, exposure differences among population groups may be linked with inequities in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Key facts
- Air pollution is the largest environmental risk for public health
- Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. It increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. Such effects affect largely the most vulnerable population, children, the elderly and women.
- focuses on ozone, an urban air pollutant that results from chemical reactions between sunlight and products of combustion such as the burning of fossil fuels.
- healthy volunteers breathe either regular air or air containing 200 parts per billion of ozone and then have their airways sampled to see what changes were triggered by the ozone exposure.
Air Pollution Prevention
There are ways to prevent, control and eventually reduce air pollution:
1. Renewable fuel and clean energy production
The most basic solution for air pollution is to move away from fossil fuels, replacing them with alternative energies like solar, wind and geothermal.
2. Energy conservation and efficiency
Producing clean energy is crucial. But equally important is to reduce our consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits and using more efficient devices.
3. Eco-friendly transportation
Shifting to electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, and promoting shared mobility (carpooling, and public transports) could reduce air pollution.
4. Green building
From planning to demolition, green building aims to create environmentally responsible and resource-efficient structures to reduce their carbon footprint.
In addition, monitoring air pollution levels has become very important to detect pollution peaks, better control air pollution and eventually improve air quality.
Air quality measured
With measuring devices using laser-based technologies, chemiluminescence, flame ionization, etc. These devices are, for instance, located close to the traffic, far from the traffic and close to industrial zones. All the collected data are compiled into a value scale, called the Air Quality Index (AQI).
Conclusion
Air pollution and climate change are closely related. Climate is the other side of the same coin that reduces the quality of our Earth. Pollutants such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and aerosols affect the amount of incoming sunlight. As a result, the temperature of the Earth is increasing, resulting in the melting of ice, icebergs, and glaciers.
Similarly, water-warming following climate changes leads to a high incidence of waterborne infections. Recently, eradicated diseases seem to be emerging due to the migration of population, for example, cholera, poliomyelitis, tick-borne encephalitis, and malaria.
