Everyone loves a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, too often our air is anything less fresh.
Although air quality varies dramatically from one place to another and from one day to another, 99% of the world’s population is exposed at some point to an air that does not meet the strict standards established by the World Health Organization. Contaminated air, loaded with harmful gases or tiny and invisible particles that are introduced into the human body, kills 7 million people prematurely every year, according to the UN Health Agency.
And for the millions living in some of The most polluted cities in the world “Many of them in Asia, like New Delhi, India; Dacca, Bangladesh; Bangkok, Thailand; and Yakarta, Indonesia– Contaminated air may seem inevitable.
But there are things that people can do, and the first thing is to understand that the air is not only contaminated when it seems foggy and with Smog, Tanushree Ganguly said, of the Institute of Energy Policy of the University of Chicago in India.
The blue skies cannot guarantee a clean air, ”she said.
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What are the most dangerous air pollutants and their sources?
Air pollutants often come from the burning of things by people: fuels such as coal, natural gas, diesel and gasoline to generate electricity and transport; crops or trees for agricultural purposes; or as a result of forest fires.
Fine and inhaler particles, known as particulate material (PM) or suspended particles, are among the most dangerous. The smallest of them – known as PM 2.5 because they have less than 2.5 microns in diameter— They can deeply penetrate the lungs and are mainly created when burn fuels. The thickest particles, called PM 10, are linked to agriculture, roads, mining or dust eroded by the wind, according to WHO.
Other hazardous pollutants include gases such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which also occur when burning fuels, said Anumita Roychowdhury, an expert in air pollution of the center for science and the environment, in New Delhi.
The sources and the intensity of air pollution vary in different cities and stations. For example, old motorcycles and industrial boilers are the main taxpayers to the contaminated air of Yakarta, the capital of Indonesia; While the burning of agricultural waste is one of the main reasons for air pollution peaks in the cities of Thailand and India. The brick ovens that burn coal increase pollution in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh; and seasonal forest fires cause problems in Brazil and North America.
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What health problems can cause air pollution?
Air pollution is the second most important risk factor for premature death worldwide, behind arterial hypertension, according to a recent report by the Health Effects Institute (Institute of Health Effects).
Short -term exposure can trigger asthma attacks and increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke, especially in older adults or with medical problems. Prolonged exposure can cause heart problems and severe pulmonary that can lead to death, including heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary infections.
A recent analysis of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) discovered that more than 500 million children in the countries of East and the Pacific breathe unhealthy air, and pollution is linked to the death of 100 children under 5 years every day. June Kunugi, regional director of UNICEF for Asia del Este and the Pacific, said that contaminated air compromises growth, damages the lungs and affects cognitive abilities.
“Each breathing matters, but for too many children every breath can cause damage,” he said.
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What is the best way to know if air is safe?
More than 6 thousand cities in 117 countries now monitor air quality, and many mobile weather applications include information about air quality. But trying to measure how bad the air that breathes when seeing those figures can be confusing.
To help people understand the levels of air quality more easily, several countries have adopted an air quality or ICA index, a numerical scale where the highest numbers mean worse air. They are also usually assigned different colors at the scale to indicate whether the air is clean or not.
But different countries have disparate air quality standards. For example, the daily limit of PM 2.5 of India is more than 1.5 times higher than that of Thailand and 4 times higher than WHO standards.
This means that countries calculate ICA unequally and figures are not comparable. Therefore, sometimes, the scores of the air quality index of private companies that use stricter standards can be different from those calculated by national regulators.
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What are the best ways to protect themselves from air pollution?
The objective, obviously, is to limit exposure when air quality is bad, and remain indoors or use a mask.
However, staying inside is not always possible, especially for those who live or work outdoors, Danny Djarum said, air quality researcher In the World Resources Institute, an environmental defense group. “They really can’t afford not to leave,” he said.
Pakaphol Asavakomolnant, office worker in Bangkok, said he uses a mask every day and avoids going to motorcycle work. “My throat hurts when I get to work in the morning if I forget to use a mask”he said.
People should also be aware of air pollution inside, which can often be caused by common domestic activities such as cooking or even burning a wand of incense.
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What are the benefits and limitations of air purifiers?
Air purifiers can help reduce air pollution inside, but have their limitations. They work by extracting air from a room that make A filter that catches pollutants Before doing it circulate again.
But they are more effective when used in small spaces and when people are close. And purifiers can only clean a certain amount of air, said Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, who studies urban air quality at the National University of Singapore. “If we have a tiny air purifier in a large room, it will not be effective”he said.
Air purifiers are also too expensive for the people of many developing countries.
Most people affected by air pollution in reality cannot solve the purchase of an air purifier, ”said Djarum, of the World Resources Institute.
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