Fight Air Pollution
In the U.S., 1 in 25 deaths is caused by exposure to external air pollution.
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Air pollution is a factor that can affect human health significantly.
We all know what we should be eating and drinking. However, most of us ignore the data on airborne pollutants, despite the fact that clean air is crucial to our quality of life. The effects of air pollution can take the form of acute problems, as well as problems that occur only after long-term exposure. The most common problems include diseases of the respiratory and circulatory system. Some airborne substances have carcinogenic effects.
Share of deaths from air pollution - 2017. Source: The State of Global Air 2019, a Special Report
- What is Air Pollution?
Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air—pollutants which are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year, air pollution is responsible for nearly seven million deaths around the globe. Nine out of ten human beings currently breathe air that exceeds the WHO guideline limits for pollutants, with those living in low- and middle-income countries suffering the most.
- What are the Sources of Air Pollution?
Most air pollution originates from the generation of energy and its usage. Burning fossil fuels releases gases and chemicals into the air, creating a destructive feedback loop. Air pollution contributes to climate change; carbon dioxide and methane raise the Earth’s temperature.
Air pollution. Source: Unsplash
- Is Air Pollution Lethal?
Unfortunately, yes. In the United States alone, 1 in 25 deaths is caused by exposure to external air pollution. It kills more Americans than all car accidents and shootings combined. More than diabetes or breast cancer plus prostate cancer. More than Parkinson's disease plus leukemia plus HIV / AIDS. However, unlike diabetes or Parkinson's disease, deadly air pollution can be totally prevented. Developing regions are much worse off, as is illustrated by the map below.
In Pakistan, India and other countries, air quality is literally catastrophic. For example, the air in New Delhi is as dangerous in the winter months as smoking 50 cigarettes a day. And although air quality is better in more developed countries, still about 400 000 people die prematurely each year in the EU population, i.e. ten times more than victims of road traffic accidents. Another 6.5 million people will become ill with diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, respiratory or circulatory disorders. Air pollution affects us all, as well as the entire ecosystem.
- Air Pollution Emphasizes Income and Racial Inequalities
In the United States, people of color are 1.5 times more likely than whites to live in areas with poor air quality. No one wants to live near an incinerator, oil refinery, toxic waste dump, or other polluting facility. In the past, racist zoning policies kept polluting industries and car-choked highways away from white neighborhoods. Poor colored communities became areas where people were forced to breathe polluted air and to suffer associated health problems. As a result, in addition to higher medical costs, millions of people around the world face a much higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, neurological damage, cancer, and even death.
As a result, 91 % of premature deaths caused by air pollution occur in low- and middle-income nations, mostly in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific regions.
Polluted air in New York City. Source: Unsplash
- Racial inequality regarding air pollution is not limited to cities and industrial areas. Millions of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States are exposed to polluted air, while they are not in a position to pressure employers and lawmakers to affirm their right to breathe clean air. As a consequence, disadvantaged communities are overburdened with high levels of poverty, unemployment, and pollution.
Because highways and polluting facilities were historically located close to low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, the negative effects of this pollution have been disproportionately experienced by the people who live there. In 2019, the Union of Concerned Scientists found that, on average, soot exposure was 34 % higher for Asian Americans than for other Americans. For African Americans, the exposure rate was 24 % higher and for Latinos, 23 % higher.
Did you know… nearly 134 million people in the USA i.e. (more than 40 % of the population) are at risk of disease and premature death caused by air pollution?
The map below shows the rate in 2018 of premature deaths from combustion-related air pollution — ozone and fine airborne participles:
Air pollution deaths per 10.000 residents. Source: viaGood
- Exposure to Smog and Soot
Smog and soot are two of the most prevalent types of air pollution. Smog is formed by emissions from fossil fuels reacting with sunlight, while soot is formed by particles of chemicals, soil, smoke, dust, or allergens that are transmitted through the air. Cars, factories, power plants, incinerators, anything that combusts fossil fuels, e.g. coal, gas and natural gas, are the most significant sources of smog and soot.
Smog irritates the eyes and throat and can damage the lungs, especially of people who work outdoors. It particularly affects asthma and bronchitis sufferers and people prone to allergies. Airborne particles penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and can lead to heart attacks.
- Air Pollution and Covid-19
Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health reported in 2020 that Covid-19 mortality rates were higher in US regions with greater levels of soot pollution than in areas with less pollution. The study compared the levels of fine particulate air pollution with Coronavirus death counts. Researchers found that a small increase in long-term exposure to air pollution leads to a large increase in the Covid-19 death rate. In addition, US regions with the worst air quality have a 27 % increase in bipolar disorder and a 6 % increase in depression, compared to the national average.
- Clean Air is as Vital as Healthy Food
If we weigh what passes through our bodies daily, we find that we consume about 6 lbs. of beverages and about 3 lbs. of food. The air filtered by the lungs weighs 10 times as much. Air quality has a significant effect on the functions of the human body. According to a **study published in the ** Journal of Cardiovascular Research, each person loses an average of almost 3 years of life due to air pollution. Poor air quality therefore has a greater impact on our health than smoking. On a global average, it shortens life expectancy by about 2 years. Crime and violence shorten life expectancy by about 4 months, and infectious diseases by about 7 months. If the ever-increasing air pollution could be eliminated, 5.5 million people could be saved every year.
1 of 3 Americans live in communities where the air is unsafe to breathe.
Air pollution is currently the world’s 4th largest risk factor for early death. More people die from air pollution–related diseases than from road traffic injuries or malaria every year!
According to the most recent State of Global Air Report, 4.5 million deaths were linked to outdoor air pollution exposures in 2019, and another 2.2 million deaths were caused by indoor air pollution. Air pollution is the 5th leading risk factor for mortality worldwide. It is responsible for more deaths than many other well-known risk factors e.g. malnutrition, alcohol abuse and physical inactivity.
Air pollutants have a negative impact on health. Source: Unsplash
The Report concludes that worldwide over 90 % of people inhabit areas exceeding WHO Guidelines for healthy air. More than 50 % live in areas not even meeting WHO’s least-stringent air quality target.
Three billion people do not have access to clean technologies for cooking. Women and children, who spend longer indoors, are the most affected by indoor air pollution. Indoor smoke is an ongoing health threat to the 3 billion people who cook and heat their homes by burning biomass, kerosene and coal.
Despite improvements in reducing the global average mortality rates caused by air pollution, the world’s most populous countries, India and China, continue to bear the highest burden.
- Effects of Air Pollution
There are various physical effects of air pollution, depending on many factors e.g. the type of pollutant and the length and level of exposure, as well as the individual’s health risks.
1 of 3 Americans live in communities where the air is unsafe to breathe! This is due to industrial companies which refuse to clean up toxic emissions released into the air. The result is unnecessary heart and lung disease, asthma attacks, cancer and an overall shorter lifespan.
- Hazardous Air Pollutants
There are many different air pollutants, the concentration of which changes over time. At the end of the 20th century, the main pollutant was **sulfur dioxide. **These concentrations began to decrease due to desulfurization and the cessation of the operation of thermal power plants. Today, in addition to SO2, the most problematic pollutants include airborne dust, nitrogen oxides, benzene and ground-level ozone.
Air pollutants pose severe health risks and can sometimes be fatal even in small amounts. Almost 200 of them are regulated by law. Among the most common are mercury, lead and dioxins. These are emitted during gas or coal combustion, and are found in gasoline, such as **benzene. **They are classified as a carcinogen by the EPA. They can cause short-term eye, skin, and lung irritation and long-term blood disorders.
Dioxins, typically found in food, can affect the liver in the short term and harm the immune, nervous, endocrine and reproductive systems. Mercury attacks the central nervous system. Lead in large quantities can damage children’s brains and kidneys. Even minimal exposure to lead can affect children’s IQ and their ability to learn.
Exposure to air pollution is linked to respiratory diseases, cancer and cognitive impairment in infants, children and teenagers.
**By-products of traffic exhaust and wildfire smoke **cause eye and lung irritation, blood and liver problems and even cancer. One study reported that children of mothers who had been exposed during pregnancy to traffic exhaust by-products showed slower brain-processing speeds and more pronounced symptoms of ADHD. Overall, 80 % of lung diseases are caused by pollution from cars and other vehicles.
Ninety percent of people worldwide are exposed to dangerously high levels of pollutants that can lead to various afflictions. An estimated 4.2 million premature deaths globally are linked to outdoor air pollution, mainly from heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and respiratory infections.
Annual median concentration of PM2.5vv. Source: viaGood
The graph above illustrates particulate matter (PM) present in the air, emitted from power plants, factories, industries, volcanoes, dust storms, forest fires and other sources.
- Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect refers to the way the Earth’s atmosphere traps and absorbs solar energy. Carbon dioxide from combusting fossil fuels, and methane released by natural as well as industrial sources, including oil and gas drilling, have a destructive effect. These greenhouse gases lead to warmer temperatures, which in turn cause rising sea levels, more extreme weather, heat-related deaths, and the increased transmission of infectious diseases.
Hydrofluorocarbons, found in air conditioners and refrigerators, are much more powerful than carbon dioxide in their ability to trap heat. In October 2016, more than 140 countries reached an agreement to reduce the use of these chemicals.
The greenhouse effect. Source: Wikipedia
Read more about the Greenhouse Effect in our Fight Climate Change cause.
- Pollen and Mold
Mold and allergens from trees, weeds, and grass, transmitted through the air are also hazardous to health. Exposure to mold can precipitate asthma attacks or allergic responses. Some molds can produce dangerous toxins. Due to climate change, pollen allergies are increasing, as climate change extends the pollen production season.
It is certain that mankind will cope with air pollution, as it has done with most problems to date. Concern regarding air quality is the motivation for innovation, smart transport solutions and an improved quality of life.
What can each of us do to contribute to clean air? Read the Solution section!
We can achieve clean air by collective pressure and our own individual choices.
Fumes from cars and industries must be reduced in order to provide cleaner air for us all. It is also essential to promote sustainable sources of electricity. We must all support greener cities and the planting of trees. To sum it up: the less gasoline we burn, the more we reduce air pollution and all the harmful effects of climate change.
How YOU can help to reduce air pollution:
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Make responsible choices about transportation. When you can, walk or cycle instead of driving or taking public transportation.
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Support research into air pollution and its impact on the human body. With all the available data on air pollution and its impact on human health, it is possible to create a solution strategy.
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Support electric public transportation. This is the best option for our cities and a sustainable economy. Zero emissions improve the air we breathe.
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Choose a car with a better fuel consumption or buy an electric car. Adjust your driving habits by car-pooling or working from home. Keep your car in good condition and tuned up, to decrease its gasoline consumption and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air.
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Support school programs and promote children's involvement. Schoolchildren must be taught about the air pollution problem, and its impact on the environment and human health. This is the best time to raise awareness, as their view of society and life values are being formed.
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Demand that your electricity supply is from wind or solar resources. Contact your electricity provider to let them know that you only accept clean energy.
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Buy your food locally to cut down on the fossil fuels burned by trucking or flying food in from across the country.
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Recycle and buy recycled products. Recycled products help to save more energy and reduce pollution, compared to the manufacture of new products.
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**Educate yourself **on air pollution and related issues. Take the time to learn about the environmental issues that impact you. The viaGood App is a great place to start!
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Support leaders and organizations promoting clean air and responsible steps concerning climate change.
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Fight for tougher air quality laws. The battle for clean air is fought by laws and tougher regulations. With financial support, the situation can be rectified at the level of lawsuits and improved laws.
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Raise awareness of air quality and support warning systems. Thousands of people are gambling with their health, due to inadequate information on air quality. The relationship between air pollution and civilization diseases must be stressed.
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Speak up for clean air. Get active and be informed about local events in your area and online events that you can participate in. Support actions for clean air.
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Monitor pollution levels in the weather report to protect your health. When pollution levels are high, limit the time you and your family spend outdoors. If the air quality is bad, stay inside with the windows closed. Generally, air pollution levels tend to be lower in the morning.
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Avoid heavily trafficked roads when exercising outdoors. After exercising, shower and wash your clothes to remove fine particles.
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Avoid harmful smoke if you live or work in an area prone to wildfires. Keep masks ready to wear when conditions are bad.
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Wear sunscreen. When ultraviolet radiation is emitted through the weakened ozone layer, it can cause skin damage and skin cancer.
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Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use.
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Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other waste.
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Avoid using gasoline-powered lawnmowers and other fuel-operated garden and household equipment.
