92% of worlds population

breathe dangerously polluted

air WHO
Published time: 28 Sep, 2016 04:40Edited time: 28 Sep, 2016 13:50

942

Over 90 percent of the worlds population lives in

areas that exceed pollution safety limits set by the
World Health Organization (WHO), according to
new data. Some three million people a year are
dying from outdoor air pollution, most of whom hail
from China.
The new data, released by the WHO on Tuesday,
confirms that 92 percent of the worlds population
is living in areas where air quality levels surpass
the official limits set by the organization.
The research, which includes an interactive map and
a detailed list of deaths related to pollution,
shows air pollution danger spots in each country,
and provides a baseline for monitoring progress
and combatting it, Dr. Flavia Bustrea, assistant
director general at the WHO, said in a statement.
A total of 6.5 million people died from air pollutionrelated deaths both indoor and outdoor in 2012,
representing more than 11 percent of all deaths. Of
those, three million were solely attributable to
outdoor air quality.

China long known for its contaminated air far

surpassed other countries, with 1,032,833 outdoor
air pollution related deaths in 2012.
Overall, 94 percent of the overall deaths were due
to non-communicable diseases such as
cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. The
organization noted that air pollution also
increases the risks for acute respiratory
infections.
Nearly 90 percent of the deaths occurred in lowand middle-income countries, with two out of three
occurring in Southeast Asia and Western Pacific
regions.
Air pollution continues take a toll on the health of
the most vulnerable populations women, children
and the older adults,Bustreo said. For people to
be healthy, they must breathe clean air from their
first breath to their last.
The organization listed major causes of air pollution
as inefficient modes of transportation, household
fuel and waste burning, coal-fired power plants,
and industrial activities. It noted, however, that not
all air pollution comes from human activity; for
example, areas close to deserts experience
pollution related to dust storms.
Fast action to tackle air pollution cant come soon
enough, Dr. Maria Neira, director of the WHO's
Department of Public Health, Environmental, and

Social Determinants of Health, said. Solutions

exist with sustainable transport in cities, solid
waste management, access to clean household
fuels and cook-stoves, as well as renewable
energies and industrial emissions reductions.
The air pollution figures were evaluated by a team
of 16 scientists from eight international institutions.
They gathered data from 3,000 locations using air
pollution monitors on the ground, as well as
modeling and satellite readings.
They specifically examined exposure to tiny
particulates 2.5 microns in size, known as PM2.5s,
which are known to penetrate the lungs. PM2.5's
are the air pollutant most strongly associated with
an increased risk of death.
Neira called the data a big step forwards towards
even more confident estimates of the huge global
burden of more than 6 million deaths 1 in 9 of
total global deaths from exposure to indoor and
outdoor air pollution.
More and more cities are monitoring air pollution
now, satellite data is more comprehensive, and we
are getting better at refining the related health
estimates, she said.
https://www.rt.com/news/360894-air-pollution-who-study/