Air Pollution and its Invisible Danger – What You Need to Know

If you’ve been observing the ongoing and high-profile protests from Extinction Rebellion over the course of the last few years, you’ll be aware that air pollution offers a significant threat to the human population.

This is supported by the statistics, which have revealed that almost a quarter of the people in the UK have been exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution with potentially devastating health consequences.

More specifically, a study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that about 15 million in the UK live in areas where the average levels of the toxic particle PM2.5 exceeds the World Health Foundation’s guidelines. But what do you need to know about this invisible danger?

air pollution repurcussions

What is Air Pollution and How is it Caused?

In simple terms, air pollution is defined as the presence of substances in the natural atmosphere that may be harmful to the health of humans and other living beings.

Air pollution may also cause long standing damage to the climate or individual materials, while there are different types of air pollutants including particulates, gases and biological molecules.

Historically, the history of air pollution can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, as developed nations such as the UK began to leverage fossil fuels such as coal to drive economic growth and expansion.

As a result of this, large and industrialised nations have produced high levels of smoke and sulphur dioxide for a range of domestic and industrial purposes, creating an omni-present threat to clean air and one that has worsened incrementally over time.

Substances such as nitrogen oxide are also impactful in this regard, with this produced from the reaction of nitrogen and oxygen in their air during combustion.

The threat of this has become increasingly prominent in highly congested areas packed with high motor vehicle traffic, creating a huge and growing pollution challenge.

Health Impact of Pollution and the Reaction of Governments

According to the WHO, air pollution contributes to an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths globally, with conditions such as heart disease, stroke, acute respiratory infections and lung cancer.

Interestingly, worldwide ambient air pollution accounts for 29% of all deaths and disease that involve lung cancer, along with 25% of similar cases related to ischaemic heart disease.

Incredibly, air pollution also contributes to 43% of all deaths and diseases that arise from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes significant breathing difficulties and long-term inflammation within the lungs.

china air pollution

Fortunately, countries across the globe are beginning to take steps to tackle air pollution, even serial offenders like China. Here, the government is taking direct action to clean up smog-choked skies from years of relentless industrial expansion, primarily by investing $83.4 billion in the renewable energy sector in 2019.

Nations like China are also drawing on innovation and technological advancement, with firms such as ERG Air Pollution Control providing various tools and measures to help tackle air pollution directly.

This includes everything from industrial gas cleaning services to comprehensive air pollution control systems, which help to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change without compromising on economic growth.

Useful Resource: Different Types of Respirator Masks

About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the CEO of BioEnergy Consult, and an international consultant, advisor and trainer with expertise in waste management, biomass energy, waste-to-energy, environment protection and resource conservation. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biogas technology, biomass energy, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. Salman has participated in numerous national and international conferences all over the world. He is a prolific environmental journalist, and has authored more than 300 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. In addition, he is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability through his blogs and portals. Salman can be reached at salman@bioenergyconsult.com or salman@cleantechloops.com.
Tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to Air Pollution and its Invisible Danger – What You Need to Know

  1. Pingback: 5 Top Ways to Reduce the Impact of Indoor Air Pollution

  2. Pingback: 4 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Green Energy Right Now

  3. Pingback: Generating Electricity from Municipal Solid Waste | BioEnergy Consult

  4. Pingback: How Green is Biomass | BioEnergy Consult

  5. Pingback: How to Increase Welding Safety?

  6. Pingback: How to Minimize Air Pollution While Growing Cannabis

  7. Pingback: 5 Things Students Can Do to Save the Planet | BioEnergy Consult

  8. Pingback: Writing Ecology Research Papers: How to Do It

  9. Pingback: Impacts of Environmental Crisis on Mental Health | BioEnergy Consult

  10. Pingback: How Biofuel is Impacting Our World in 2023

  11. Pingback: More Reasons To Check Out Alternative Energy Sources | BioEnergy Consult

Share your Thoughts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.