Atmospheric Pollution
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) define atmospheric pollution as:
Contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere
- Common sources of air pollution include:
- Domestic devices - heating and cooking
- Vehicles - cars, lorries, trains etc
- Industry - power generation, chemical plants etc.
- Fires - wood and coal burning stoves, burning garden waste etc.
- Data shows that 99% of the global population breathe high levels of pollutants, with LDEs and EMEs experiencing the highest levels
- Pollutants of concern are particulate and photochemical
- Particulate pollution is where particles are suspended in the air, sources include:
- Volcanic dust
- Dust storms
- Sea spray
- Burning wood and fossil fuels
- Industrial processes
- Photochemical pollution is air that contains chemicals such as nitrogen oxide, which react with sunlight to produce chemical compounds such as:
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Ozone (O3)
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
- Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
- Particulate matter
- Particulate pollution can cause health issues such as respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer
- It affects the environment, by reducing visibility, producing acid rain, and contributing to climate change
-
Photochemical pollution can also harm human health, by causing eye irritation, asthma attacks, and lung damage, and to the environment, by damaging crops, trees, and buildings
- Air pollution is estimated to cause 7 million premature deaths every year
- 89% of those premature deaths occur in LDEs and EMEs, with south-east Asia and the western Pacific regions seeing the highest rates
- LDEs and EMEs rely heavily on fossil fuels to meet their energy needs, along with increased industrialisation and car ownership
- Many LDEs and EMEs have little to no atmospheric pollution policies and with high levels of unregulated urbanisation (informal settlements, poor municipal waste collection and a growing population etc.) means that their atmospheric pollution is severe
- Air quality is linked to the earth's climate and global ecosystems and biomes
- Drivers of air pollution are usually sources of greenhouse gas emissions
- Any policies that reduce air pollution will also impact climate and health, which in turn, reduces the pressure of poor health on health services and improves worker capacity and economic prosperity