

Long-term effects: lung tissue damage, cancer, early death, and the development of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.Short-term effects: difficulty breathing, chest pain, wheezing, coughing, general respiratory discomfort, and irritation of the eye, nose, and throat.High air pollution levels can cause health problems including: The 2019 World Air Quality Report found that 72.7% of people living in Europe breathe air exceeding the WHO’s PM2.5 guideline for annual exposure (< 10 µg), while 98.8% of people breathe unhealthy air in South Asia, the most polluted region globally. While this figure varies region to region, nowhere is without risk. It is estimated that 92% of the global population breathes unhealthy air. 43% of all deaths and disease from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.25% of all deaths and disease from coronary heart disease.17% of all deaths and disease from acute lower respiratory infection.29% of all deaths and disease from lung cancer.Rather, air pollution is the world’s 4th leading contributing cause of early death, accounting for: 6 5Īir pollution is described as a ‘silent killer’ because it is rarely the direct cause of death. 4 Among children under the age of 15, it is the leading cause of death, killing 600,000 every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) has deemed air pollution as the greatest environmental health risk today, estimated to contribute to 7 million premature deaths annually. Impact of breathing unhealthy air - overview: The amount of risk for health complications depends on one’s overall health, the pollutant type, the concentration, and the length of exposure to polluted air. At significant levels, all types of air pollution pose a risk for adverse health effects. Air pollution refers to substances in the air that are detrimental to either human health and/or the planet as a whole.
