What Are The Effects Of Air Pollution?

Air pollution refers to the presence or release of harmful pollutants in the air. Pollutants are substances that are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes the death of almost seven million people worldwide every year. Hence, it is important to identify the causes and reduce pollution as soon as possible, in and halt the imminent danger to human life and the planet as a whole.

Did you know this about Air Pollution?

1. Over nine out of 10 people in the world live in an area where air pollution exceeds the safe limit.

2. Air pollution is the fourth-largest threat to human life. It is the primary cause of respiratory infections, stroke, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.

3. Air pollution-related deaths accounted for 11.6% of the total deaths in 2012, according to WHO data. This number is more than the people who died of HIV/AIDS, road injuries and tuberculosis combined.

4. 92% of the deaths linked to polluted air occurred in middle or low-income countries. Hence, parts of Africa, India, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and China are dangerous spots. The highest deaths were recorded in Eastern Europe. The chart below details this information.

5. Air pollution causes more deaths in India than in China. An average of 3,283 premature deaths were recorded in India per day in 2015, while the number of premature deaths per day in China was 3,233.

6. Household air pollution contributed to 3.8 million deaths in 2016. This makes it one of the largest risk factors to human health.

7. Global carbon dioxide emissions totalled 31.5 billion metric tons in 2020. This is roughly six per cent lower compared to the previous year. Furthermore, this is the biggest annual reduction since World War 2.

8. Delhi was named the most polluted capital city in the world in 2020. Data shows the presence of 84.1 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air (μg/m³). This concentration was almost 10 times higher than the World Health Organization target of 10 μg/m³.

9. The second most polluted capital was Dhaka in Bangladesh.

10. Many cities experienced reductions in PM2.5 pollution in 2020 due to restrictions on economic activity during the outbreak of COVID-19.

Originally posted on Effects Of Air Pollution!