Nine out of ten people breathe unsafe air

Air pollution is a massive problem that affects most of the population on Earth. Statistically, nine out of ten people breathe air that exceeds the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended levels. Nowadays, one in nine of all deaths worldwide is caused by air pollution and eight million premature deaths are linked to this cause (UN Environment Programme, 2018; Aljazeera, 2021).

What is air pollution?

Air pollution refers to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are known to be harmful to humankind, flora, fauna, and materials (Vallero, 2015). These substances include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and lead. The most harmful particles are frequently very tiny in size. Microscopic particulates, with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, can easily access our lungs, brain, and bloodstream causing deadly illnesses such as stroke and lung cancer (UNDP, 2019; UN Environment Programme, 2018).

Approximately, 97% of cities in low- and middle-income countries do not meet the safety standards set by the WHO, while in high income countries, half of the cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants have unsafe air (UNDP, 2019).

The consequences of air pollution

Air pollution has an enormous impact on people’s health and is the cause of 7 million deaths every year. Poor air quality is linked to some of the most common illnesses, causing 2.2 million deaths by stroke, 2.0 million deaths by heart diseases, and 1.7 million deaths by lung diseases and cancer per year (UN Environment Programme, 2018; UNDP, 2019). Air pollution is also known to cut the global average lifespan of, approximately, three years per person (Aljazeera, 2021). It also lowers people’s I.Q., increasing the risk of dementia and miscarriage.

Children are particularly vulnerable to this type of pollution as they tend to breathe twice as fast, inhaling more air per unit of body weight in comparison to a healthy adult (UNICEF, 2019). Approximately, 93% of children, worldwide, live in areas where air pollution exceeds levels recommended by WHO. Moreover, air pollution is the leading cause of asthma in children, leading to 11,000 new cases every day (UNDP, 2019; UN News, 2020a). Air pollution is also responsible for 50% of pneumonia cases in children. Pneumonia is the main cause of infants’ death, killing approximately 800,000 children all over the world per year. This disease is particularly concentrated in countries situated in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. On current trends, pneumonia will kill 6.3 million children under age five, between 2020 and 2030. However, with the right treatment and prevention services, such as reducing air pollution worldwide, the life of 3.2 million children under the age of five can be saved (UNICEF, 2020a; UNICEF, 2020b).

Air pollution also has a negative effect on pregnant women. High levels of particulate matter are associated with a higher risk of early fetal loss, premature birth, and low birth weight (UNICEF, 2019).

COVID-19 and air pollution

Air pollution also had an influence on deaths by Covid-19. In East Asia, the most polluted area in the world, up to 27% of deaths by Covid-19 have been linked to poor quality of air, while in Europe the percentage is 19%. In the UK, 6,100 deaths by Covid-19 were linked to air pollution, while in the US, the number increases to 40,000 (Aljazeera, 2020).

Despite what many believe, Covid-19 has not significantly lowered carbon emissions. Indeed, the lockdown only reduced mobility and not the global energy consumption (UN News, 2020c). However, some improvements have been made. For instance, the concentration of the life-shortening particles responsible for air pollution dropped by 11% in Beijing, 13% in Chicago, 15% in New Delhi, and 16% in London (Aljazeera, 2021).

Causes

The list of causes of air pollution is long, but it can be divided into two main categories: indoor causes and outdoor causes.

Outdoor causes include:

• The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal to generate electricity and petrol and diesel to power transportations.

• Chemical and mining industrial processes.

• Agriculture, the main source of ammonia and methane.

• Unsustainable waste treatment and management.

• Volcanic eruptions.

Indoor causes include:

• Indoor cooking using unsafe fuels

• Heating systems using unsafe fuels (UN Environment Programme, 2018).

Indoor sources can be as harmful as outdoor ones. Many families in poor countries are forced to use unsafe fuels to cook and generate heat in their houses. In developing countries, indoor cooking kills almost as many people as ambient pollution.

In the city of Skopje, in Macedonia, approximately 30% of the city’s air pollution comes from wood-burning stoves that citizens are forced to use as they are cheaper than central heating (UNDP, 2019). Indoor pollution is particularly high in Africa, where most people still use unsafe methods to cook and heat their habitations. Approximately, two-thirds of the children in Africa live in houses where solid fuels are used daily, affecting their early brain development. Since 1990, deaths from indoor pollution have declined by about 15%, however, numbers are still very high as in 2017, 400,000 people died in Africa as a consequence of indoor air pollution (UNICEF, 2019).

Fighting air pollution

The EU, along with other 110 countries, have pledged carbon neutrality by 2050. This can be done in many ways, such as switching from coal, oil, and gas-fired energy to clean sources, such as solar, wind, and hydropower energy. Another option is to adopt ways of transportation powered by electricity while emissions coming from agriculture could be drastically reduced if we change our diets opting for plant-based food (UN News, 2020b; UN News, 2020c).

Despite that a lot has already been done, carbon neutrality is still far from reality. All countries need to improve their efforts in the fight against air pollution to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths in the next years.