Air Pollution Kills Nearly 7 Million People Every Year: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that air pollution, which is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, kills an estimated 7 million people every year globally.

The top UN Health agency said that air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, alongside climate change. "Improving air quality can enhance climate change mitigation efforts, while reducing emissions will, in turn, improve air quality," it said.

WHO further said that every year, exposure to air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million premature deaths and result in the loss of millions more healthy years of life. In children, this could include reduced lung growth and function, respiratory infections and aggravated asthma.

The UN Health agency also released its new air quality guidelines for the first time since it's last global update in 2005. The guidelines aim to save millions of lives from air pollution.

WHO in a statement said that the new Air Quality guidelines provide clear evidence of the damage air pollution inflicts on human health, at even lower concentrations than previously understood.

It further said that since WHO's last 2005 global update, there has been a marked increase of evidence that shows how air pollution affects different aspects of health. For that reason, and after a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, WHO has adjusted almost all the AQGs levels downwards, warning that exceeding the new air quality guideline levels is associated with significant risks to health.

The new guidelines recommend to protect the health of populations, by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change.

The WHO's new guidelines recommend air quality levels for six pollutants — particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM 10, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). AQG is an annual mean concentration guideline for particulate matter and other pollutants. 

The 2021 guidelines stipulate that PM 10 should not exceed 15 g/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre of air) annual mean, or 45 g/m3 24-hour mean. According to the 2005 guideline, the limit was 20 g/m3 annual mean or 50 g/m3 24-hour mean for PM 10.

They recommend that PM 2.5 should not exceed 5 g/m3 annual mean, or 15 g/m3 24-hour mean. As per the 2005 guideline, the limit was 10 g/m3 annual mean or 25 g/m3 24-hour mean for PM 2.5. Under the 2005 guideline, the AQG level of another pollutant Nitrogen Dioxide was 40 g/m3 annual mean which has now been changed by the WHO to 10 g/m3.

The health risks associated with particulate matter equal or smaller than 10 and 2.5 microns in diameter (PM 10 and PM 2.5, respectively) are of particular public health relevance. Both PM 2.5 and PM 10 are capable of penetrating deep into the lungs, but PM 2.5 can even enter the bloodstream, primarily resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory impacts, and also affecting other organs.

PM is primarily generated by fuel combustion in different sectors, including transport, energy, households, industry and agriculture, the WHO noted.
It stressed that adhering to these guidelines could save millions of lives.

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