Globally nine out of ten people breathe polluted air, but many people are unaware of the adverse effects of air pollution on health. We all know what causes air pollution since it’s not a hidden fact. To make things worse, its longevity is expanding with every passing day.
The effects of air pollution may include alarming damage to our health, including diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and acute lower respiratory infections in children.
To see how much pollution impacts on human health we can take precautionary steps to control it thoroughly. Let’s deeply look at what causes air pollution and what are the effects of air pollution on human health.
Air pollution causes are uncountable and have existed in the environment for many years. It causes numerous diseases, so what is the real reason of air pollution? It emerges from harmful gasses and chemicals released into the air by industries, cars, aviation, smoking and many more.
Air pollution begins when harmful gasses and chemicals are released into the air. These pollutants include Particulate Matter (tiny particles that get into our respiratory system), nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide.
The majority of these pollutants emit through human activities like burning fossil fuels, vehicle exhaust fumes and emissions from agriculture and industry.
What are the Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health
The world’s most significant environmental health risk is air pollution; the impact that it causes on the planet is catastrophic, which in turn becomes a health risk that has a negative effect to only on lives but also reduces the quality of living. Some of the effects of air pollution are breathing issues such as asthma that may lead to a life threatening situation which causes chronic respiratory diseases. Exposure for an extended period can even cause cancer, heart attacks, etc.
Pollution environment can affect anyone exposed to it, such as children and older people, which can develop breathing conditions. One in three deaths occur due to the effects of air pollution like strokes, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
The Negative effects of Air Pollution
The environmental effects of air pollution are tremendous on our human health. What may seem short term can lead to something serious as we are continuously exposed to the pollution environment. Pollution air causes numerous long-term diseases that can be fatal to our health, let’s have a look at them one by one.
| Short term exposure to air pollution | Long term exposure to air pollution |
| Coughing | Respiratory diseases (Asthma) |
| Difficulty breathing/wheezing | Cardiovascular damage |
| Headache | Nervous system damage |
| Fatigue | Birth defects |
Air Pollution Effects on Humans and Environment
According to WHO: The environmental pollution causes an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year due to stroke, heart diseases, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, around 91% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality is not up to the mark.
Some common air pollution causes that directly affect health are smog in the air, greenhouse gasses, causing acid rain, and adding too many nitrates in the land, which initially affects groundwater and agriculture. Another pollution impacts on human health are the rise of pollen allergies due to high levels of hazardous pollutants in the air.
In conclusion, air pollution causes adverse impacts not only on health but also on the environment. The negative effects of air pollution can lead to fatal health diseases and long term environmental effects. The only way to transition is to go for cleanser fuel and renewable resources. Go green for a clean environment.