air-pollutin

Take a look at your surroundings today. Or better stand at a safe place on a busy road and count the motors rushing by. And then just look at how much smoke and dust is released into the air we breathe. In the near future, there is every chance that along with shops and malls for textiles, there will be a huge market for Air masks, portable air filters and easy to carry Oxygen cylinders. Attire suitable to accommodate purified oxygen cylinders will be part of our daily wear. Many of you would think this is funny and is never going to happen. But think again, did anyone think that there would be a generation who needs to buy drinking water? So if that can happen, there is every chance that oxygen will also turn into a commodity consumers need to buy.

According to WHO reports, less than 8% of the population has air which meets the WHO air quality levels. The rest of the population is inhaling air which has alarmingly higher levels. The presence of high amount of air pollutants causes a rapid decline in air quality.

air-pollution

There is a long list of diseases which arise from air pollution. Some of them are
· cardiovascular diseases
· stroke
· pulmonary diseases
· lung cancer
· respiratory infections
·
Sources of Air pollution include

· Combustion of gasoline and other hydrocarbon fuels in automobiles
· Industrial waste,
· The burning of plastics and household waste
· Uncontrolled and inefficient emissions from vehicles.

WHO Ambient Air Quality Guidelines

PM2.5
10 μg/m3 annual mean
25 μg/m3 24-hour mean

PM10
20 μg/m3 annual mean
50 μg/m3 24-hour mean

For further information

Please contact
Nada Osseiran
WHO Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health
Telephone: +41 22 791 4475
Mobile: +41 79 445 1624
Email: [email protected]

Kimberly Chriscaden
WHO Department of Communications
Telephone: +41 22 791 2885
Mobile: +41 79 603 1891
Email: [email protected]

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