The World Health Organization reports that about 7 million deaths a year can be directly linked to breathing polluted air. According to the WHO, air pollution is the most significant environmental health risk and regular exposure is associated with serious long term health effects such as cancer, cognitive impairment in children, respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, strokes and other cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
The data includes deaths related to indoor and outdoor pollution, which affects urban, suburban and rural areas. Indoor air pollution was found to be responsible for 3.3 million deaths world wide annually. Outdoor exposures kill 2.6 million annually. Another million are believed to be linked to both indoor and outdoor pollution. The burden is heaviest in developing countries, and fetuses, nursing babies, children, asthmatics, the elderly and immune suppressed individuals are all more vulnerable to pollutants.
This new data reveals that the risks are higher than previously believed and demonstrates a real need to combat pollution and clean the air. Air pollution can be traced to heating and cooking fuel, including coal, wood, and dung. In the developed world, pollution is often due to energy, industry and waste management. The cost of the global burden of disease is estimated at $1.6 trillion dollars.
Supporting stricter clean air standards is one big way that you can make a difference, but you can also take steps to protect yourself in your own home. Common indoor air pollutants in the United States include mold, pet dander, dust mites and fumes from furnaces, fireplaces and other gas appliances. Increasing ventilation and installing HEPA filters are great ways to protect yourself. Keep a window open or use the ventilation fan when you cook on a gas stove. Limit your use of cleaners containing bleach and ammonia, and look for low or no VOC products when painting or performing other home maintenance tasks. Keep carbon monoxide detectors near gas appliances, and change their batteries when you change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Check radon levels particularly if you have a basement or crawlspace.
A blog with information to help inspire action that will improve health.