Air pollution

Air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone. It occurs when the environment is contaminated by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Stoves at home, tobacco smoke, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.

It is responsible for exacerbation of asthma and increase in respiratory infections especially in children. Increased morbidity and mortality, due to cardiovascular diseases including stroke, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers have also been attributed to air pollution. These facts indicate that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk.

Acknowledging that air pollution is a serious health hazard, the Government of India has formulated a steering committee to deliberate on health effects of air pollution and extend recommendations, both in the area of ambient and household air pollution.

Key facts

• Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. By reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma.
• The lower the levels of air pollution, the better the cardiovascular and respiratory health of the population will be, both long- and short-term.
• The WHO Air Quality Guidelines: Global Update 2005 provide an assessment of health effects of air pollution and thresholds for health-harmful pollution levels.
• In 2016, 91% of the world population was living in places where the WHO air quality guidelines levels were not met.
• Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in 2016.
• Some 91% of those premature deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, and the greatest number in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions.
• Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport, energy-efficient homes, power generation, industry and better municipal waste management would reduce key sources of outdoor air pollution.
• In addition to outdoor air pollution, indoor smoke is a serious health risk for some 3 billion people who cook and heat their homes with biomass, kerosene fuels and coal.