‘It threatens us all’: How dirty air became the world’s silent killer

It’s a staggering figure: with a death toll of more than seven million every year, air pollution kills more people than AIDS and malaria combined.

But it’s not just countries like India, China, or Pakistan– where thick smog regularly envelopes these nation’s largest cities – that are struggling with the fallout from dirty air.

Across all continents, including Antarctica, air pollution has become an inescapable part of modern life.

Emissions from industry, vehicles, cooking, heating, and natural pollutants like dust and sand all play a role.

Just last week, a major study revealed that only seven countries globally meet the air quality standards set by the World Health Organization, leaving 99 per cent of the world’s population at risk of a vast array of health conditions linked to the air they breathe.

Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalised people bear the brunt of the burden

But its impacts are not consistent, with vast inequalities between rich and poor.

“Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalised people bear the brunt of the burden,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, has previously noted.

Financial resources, stringent government actions, and access to safer energy sources all mean that air pollution in Europe and North America has drastically fallen over the last few decades, whilst Asia and increasingly Africa suffer from the highest death rates.

Air pollution is measured in ‘particulate matter’, or PM2.5

Air pollution is measured in ‘particulate matter’, or PM2.5 – the tiny airborne particles that are made up of a variety of toxic substances like sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, and black carbon. These toxins are about one-thirtieth of the width of a singular strand of hair – so small that, when breathed in, they can lodge themselves in internal organs and penetrate deep into the bloodstream. Short-term exposure can lead to reduced lung function, respiratory infections, and asthma. But long-term exposure, of the sort experienced by billions of people worldwide, can cause heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lower respiratory disease, leading to premature death.

The very young and very old are the most vulnerable; 60 per cent of the air pollution-related deaths that occurred in 2019 were among children under 15 years and adults over 70 years, according to the Global Burden of Disease.

A growing body of evidence has also linked exposure during pregnancy to an increased risk of stillbirth; of the two million cases recorded each year, around half are thought to be directly caused by air pollution.

And it’s not just health

And it’s not just health. The World Bank estimates that the global economic cost of air pollution-related disease exceeds trillions of dollars annually. In the UK, the toll on the NHS is thought to be around £20 billion every year, according to the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London. But although the developed world certainly suffers, air pollution has gotten much better over the past century. In Britain, emissions of particulate matter have fallen by around 80 per cent since 1950.

There are several reasons

There are several reasons. The evolution of fuel standards for car emissions over the past few decades marks a notable triumph; compared to vehicles manufactured in the 1960s, modern cars have about a 95 per cent reduction in tailpipe pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. EU directives on emissions and similar policies in other developed nations have helped businesses reduce pollution, and the elimination of lead and drastic reductions in sulphur levels from industry has also helped significantly. Economic advancement has also meant people in regions such as Europe and America no longer cook or heat their homes using solid fuels like wood and charcoal – a major source of indoor air pollution.

Despite these major improvements, around 98 per cent of Europeans still live in areas the WHO says have unhealthy levels of PM2.5, contributing to around 400,000 premature deaths in the region each year. Yet low and middle-income countries are grappling with the worst effects, accounting for 89 per cent of global morbidity, says the WHO.

In the developing world, populations are booming: the majority of children born over the next century – 77 per cent – will be in the most resource-limited regions of the world, with over half, around 40 million, born in sub-Saharan Africa. Industrialisation and urbanisation have increased industrial activities and infrastructure development – from factories to power plants – and are two of the biggest factors causing heightened emissions. Weak environmental regulations and enforcement further exacerbate the problem, allowing industries to operate without proper emission controls. For example, agricultural practices such as stubble burning – where leftover crop residue is burned to clear fields after harvesting, pushing vast amounts of toxic black carbon into the air – is banned in much of Europe and North America, but commonplace across Asia and Africa. Last year, around 38 per cent of New Delhi’s pollution was attributed to stubble-burning activities in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana.

“In low and middle-income countries, lessening the burden of air pollution doesn’t always make it to the top of the list in terms of budgetary priorities,” explained Christi Schroeder, air quality science manager at IQAir, a Swiss company responsible for monitoring air pollution levels globally. The world’s top three most polluted countries – Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India – are all located in South Asia. The region is also responsible for the world’s 10 most air-polluted cities. But Africa is not far behind. The continent’s worst affected countries – Chad, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo – all place in the top 10 most air-polluted nations on the planet, with more African nations expected to join the list over the next decade.

Whilst industrialisation, poor regulation, and a boom in vehicle ownership all play a huge role in outdoor pollution, the developing world also grapples with the added burden of indoor pollutants

In poorly ventilated homes, indoor smoke can have levels of fine particles 100 times higher than acceptable, according to the WHO. Women and children, typically responsible for household chores, bear the greatest health burden. Natural sources of pollution like sand and dust also cause significant problems, in both developing and developed countries. Just last week, a dust storm from the Sahara desert blew into southern and eastern Europe, leaving countries including Greece and Malta with a temporary spike in PM.2 – around 10 times the WHO’s recommended level – according to Copernicus, the EU’s air monitoring service. While much remains to be understood, the assumption among experts is that natural particles like dust and

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
   • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population-weighted).

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the article’s content, the specific targets identified are:

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, there are indicators mentioned in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

   • Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.
   • Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10) in cities (population-weighted).
   • Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of institutional, systemic, and individual capacity-building to implement adaptation, mitigation, and technology transfer.

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Source: telegraph.co.uk

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