According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is a top threat to our health worldwide. In 2019, it's thought to have caused 4.2 million early deaths. The mix of outside air pollution and air in our homes leads to 6.7 million deaths each year.1 Various sicknesses like asthma, cancer, lung issues, and heart problems are linked to air pollution. The WHO mentions that breathing polluted air is a greater health risk than we knew before.1 It's seen as the main reason for severe health problems caused by our environment.
L'air pollué, plus grand risque environnemental pour la santé dans le monde
En 2019, l'OMS a noté que 99% de gens vivent où l'air est mauvais. Ce chiffre dépasse les limites sûres définies par l'OMS. Ainsi, la pollution de l'air devient la pire menace pour la santé mondiale. Elle cause 7 millions de décès chaque année.12
Dans l'Europe, presque tout le monde respire un air pollué. Plus de 90% des gens sont trop exposés à des particules fines. Ces niveaux dépassent ce que l'OMS recommande pour l'air sain.
Des liens effrayants apparaissent entre la pollution et des maladies sérieuses. Les chercheurs trouvent des connexions avec le diabète, les troubles neurologiques, les accouchements précoces et les bébés prématurés. Ces découvertes inquiètent de plus en plus les experts.2
Overview of Air Pollution
Outdoor Air Pollution: A Global Crisis
Outdoor air pollution impacts people worldwide, from low- to high-income areas. In 2019, 99% of the world's population didn't meet the WHO's air quality standards. The air contains harmful substances like NOx, SOx, ozone, and PM 2.5. These particles can go deep into our lungs and cause health issues.
Sources and Contributors
Industry, transport, power plants, garbage sites, and farming add to air pollution. They release pollutants and greenhouse gases. This causes air pollution globally, leading to seven million deaths each year.13
In France, around 40,000 deaths a year are linked to PM2.5 exposure. Air pollution accounts for 7% of all deaths there. Heating with wood, mainly in homes and commercial buildings, caused over half of PM2.5 emissions in 2019 in France.4 Road transportation is also a big polluter. It contributes to 12% of PM2.5, over half of NOx, and 40% of soot carbon. This exposes many to harmful traffic emissions.4
Out of the 4.2 million deaths from air pollution in 2019, most occurred in low- to middle-income countries. The problem is intense in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Pollution is a major factor in many health issues, like strokes.13
About 37% of air pollution deaths in 2019 were due to heart and stroke diseases. Chronic lung diseases and other respiratory illnesses also saw high impacts. Children under 5 in poor or middle-income nations face over half their deaths from severe lung infections due to air pollution.13
Marginalized communities bear the heaviest burden of air pollution. They face 93% of excess air pollution risk. Over 1.2 billion workers are mostly outdoors, thus at high air pollution risk.13
World Health Organization confirmed outdoor air pollution leads to 4.2 million deaths annually. This makes it the top environmental health risk. Notably, since 2013, outdoor air pollution has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Health Impacts of Air Pollution
Air pollution causes a lot of health problems. It leads to respiratory diseases, heart problems, and even cancer. The World Health Organization found that in 2019, many deaths were linked to outdoor air pollution. For example, a large number of deaths came from heart disease and stroke. Also, a significant portion was from lung diseases and infections. And around 11% of these deaths were due to cancer in the lungs.1
Respiratory Diseases
Air pollutants, especially small particles like PM2.5, can make people sick. They cause inflammation and stress in the body. This can worsen lung conditions such as asthma and COPD. Sadly, over 90% of children live where the air quality is worse than the WHO suggests. And more than half the deaths from lung infections in kids under 5 in poorer countries are because of air pollution.3
Cardiovascular Diseases
Air pollution also harms our hearts, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It damages our heart and blood vessels. That's why it's a big factor in deaths from heart diseases around the world. Over 1.2 billion people work in places where they face a lot of outdoor air pollution every day.3
Cancer Risk
Air pollution can even raise our chances of getting cancer. In 2019, about 11% of deaths from outdoor air pollution were from cancer in the lungs.1
Particulate Matter: A Deadly Pollutant
Particulate matter (PM) is a key sign of air pollution. It's very dangerous for health, especially PM2.5. These tiny particles can get deep into our lungs. They harm our breathing and heart.5
Air pollution affects many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is bad for health, clean energy, cities, and climate.5 High air pollution levels can make us more likely to get sick. This includes illnesses like COVID-19.5
PM includes smaller particles like PM10 and PM2.5, which the EU watches closely. Ultrafine particles, like PM1, are also important because they can be very harmful.
Regional Disparities and Vulnerable Populations
Air pollution hits low- and middle-income countries the hardest, causing 89% of 4.2 million early deaths globally in 2019.7 Most of this impact is in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions.
Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Kids and the elderly are at higher risk from air pollution.8 This is because children's lungs are still growing and they breathe more air. The elderly face risks due to weaker health and less strength to fight off diseases.
Children and the Elderly
In Belgium, the quality of air varies by region.9 The Flemish Region has more fine particles, while the Brussels-Capital Region gets more nitrogen dioxide. Solving these differences and safeguarding at-risk groups are key steps towards better global health against air pollution.
Policies and Strategies to Reduce Air Pollution
The world is facing a crisis due to l'air pollué, pollution atmosphérique, and émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Everyone from local governments to global organizations must work together. They have to focus on areas like energy, transportation, and waste management. This includes efforts in urban planning and agriculture too. Using clean tech to lower industrial emissions is key. It involves things like cleaner fuels and energy-saving processes. Policies that push for renewable energy sources are also important. They can help cut down greenhouse gas emissions.
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Urban Planning and Transportation Solutions
If we want to tackle air pollution, we need better urban and transport planning. We should encourage people to use public transportation and to walk or cycle. This reduces the pollution caused by cars and helps with sustainable urban development.
Setting up things like congestion charges and low-emission zones can make a difference. They, along with good public transport, can improve air quality in cities.1112
Waste Management Strategies
Dealing with waste properly can cut down on air pollution. This means we should reduce, separate, and recycle waste. We also need to start using techniques like anaerobic waste digestion. These efforts lower the pollutants waste releases into the air.
By changing how we handle waste, we can also make our air cleaner. This helps reduce the health risks associated with bad air quality. Working together is important for these plans to succeed.10
Cooperation between different stakeholders and sectors is crucial to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of these policies and strategies, ultimately improving air quality and protecting public health.
Air Quality Standards and Guidelines
The World Health Organization (WHO) leads in setting global standards on air quality. Its Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) help people understand and manage health risks from air pollution.1
Developed using the latest science, the WHO AQG gives both specific guideline values and how to effectively manage air pollutants. This includes matter like PM10 and PM2.5, gases like NO2, and ozone (O3).13
The WHO AQG aim to be a worldwide standard for lessening air pollution's health effects. They set limits for pollutants to help policymakers. This guides them in making policies and actions to better air quality and protect health.1
The WHO's Air Quality and Health Unit is key in helping countries use these guidelines. They provide training, technical help, and share knowledge. This supports nations in fighting air pollution and keeping their people healthy.
The Role of International Organizations
The World Health Organization (WHO) pays serious attention to the air pollution crisis. In 2015, all WHO Member States came together and backed resolution A68.8. This resolution focuses on the health impacts of air pollution.14
The WHO helps countries keep people healthy by using facts to make smart policies. They also boost countries' abilities, making it easier to work together to fight air pollution. The goal is to protect public health through these shared efforts.14
WHO's Response
The WHO is leading the worldwide battle against the health risks from air pollution. It guides and supports countries as they create and enforce strategies to cut emissions and improve the air we breathe.14 The organization's advice and guidelines, like the Global Air Quality Guidelines, set a standard for protecting against air pollution's health harm.14
UN Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is also key in the fight against air pollution. It partners with countries to make and follow through on plans to lessen pollution, push for greener technologies, and enhance air quality.15 Areas like using energy better, managing transportation, dealing with waste, and farming are UNEP's focus. These areas often cause a lot of air pollution.15 Through teamwork and backing local efforts, UNEP drives steps for cleaner air and healthier living places worldwide.15
Success Stories and Best Practices
Around the world, many policies and projects have cut down on l'air pollué and made people healthier. The Veolia Institute Review - FACTS Reports, started in 2007, shares top practices. It covers areas like economy, development, health, the environment, farming, and education. Both developing and developed nations get studied.16
The Indoor Air Quality Observatory (OQAI) is a standout project in the report. It looks closely at how pollution affects our homes.16 The report brings together many views on air quality inside. It looks at what people in China, Belgium, and France think about it,16 and how South Korea tackles the problem with strong rules.16
The report points out that fixing l'air pollué needs everyone working together globally. It talks about things like trading pollution and using modern art to explain air quality.16 It also brings up what we've learned from NASA and Biosphere 2 about cleaning the air with plants and tiny organisms.16
This collection of victories and bright ideas shows that with the right actions, we can fight air pollution. By using clean tech in industries, moving to renewable energy, creating better public transport, and managing waste well, we can make the air cleaner. This is key to making better health for everyone. Sharing successes and challenges helps us all handle the worldwide l'air pollué issue.17
Conclusion
Air pollution is a big problem worldwide. It hurts public health and leads to many early deaths every year.3 This issue hits low- and middle-income countries hard. It also impacts children and the elderly the most.1 To fix this, we need to act together. We must use clean tech, switch to renewable energy, plan our cities better, and manage waste well.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Environment Programme are key in helping out. They give advice, build skills, and join efforts to cut air pollution and keep people healthy.1 We should look at what works elsewhere. Then, leaders and citizens can make smart moves to fight air pollution's harm. Together, we can make a better, greener world.
Now is the time to make a change. Working together, with help from global groups, we can overcome air pollution. This way, we protect everyone's health and future.