Air Pollution Effects on Human Health

You may likely be aware of the air pollutions’ effect on human health.

A new study on ozone pollution was published on the 13^th of August 2019. The study discovered that exposure to ozone pollution can increase an individual’s risk of lung disease by as much as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, for example.

The increase in the risk of emphysema can equal the impact of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day for 29 years. With an increase in ozone exposure of just 3ppb over the course of 10 years.

Furthermore, the study found that levels were increasing by roughly that amount in some major cities. This increase is caused largely by climate change and is linked to the rise in global temperatures.

The rise in global temperatures is linked to climate change. The 18-year study examined the lives of over 7,000 people in 6 major metropolitan areas across the US. Some of the covered areas were Chicago, Winston-Salem, Los Angeles, St. Paul and New York. Increases in emphysema were examined by using CT scans and lung function tests. Thanks to initiatives to reduce them, levels of air pollution have fallen across the 18-year period.

The impact of ozone

Ozone occurs when sunlight reacts with pollutants from fossil fuels. Also, ozone is the key ingredient in this study concerning lung disease. The study highlights that ozone levels will rise as global temperatures increase. Many health organisations have credited the study. For example, the British Lung Foundation is one such organisation. The British Lung Foundation noted that the study supported the evidence that air pollution has a harmful impact on respiratory health.

Piling pressure on those in power, the British Lung Foundation has urged the UK government to comply with the existing World Health Organisation guidelines for particulate matter and to set out a clear action plan to meet them by 2030.

Air pollution effect on human health

A further recent study has linked long-term ozone exposure to the development of heart diseases such as atherosclerosis.

Particulate pollution is created by exhaust from combustion engines but also from inadequately filtered and controlled industrial exhaust. Without the proper processes and scrubbing equipment in place, manufacturers stand to contribute to these growing health concerns.

It is vital for industrial proponents to take action to limit their polluting output. Also, by taking action, they can help to mitigate these life-threatening health risks and to reduce the effects of air pollution on human health.

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