51% of India’s air pollution is caused by industrial pollution, 27% by vehicles, 17% by crop burning and 5% by other sources. Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of 2 million Indians every year.
Air pollution poses a significant and urgent threat to public health. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 7 million people die each year due to exposure to fine particles in polluted air, which can cause health issues such as stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and respiratory infections like pneumonia. The pollutants responsible include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Both outdoor and indoor air pollution are detrimental to health.
Major sources of air pollution include industry, transportation, coal-fired power plants, and the use of solid fuels in households.
As air pollution intensifies at an alarming rate, it affects economies and diminishes people’s quality of life, with a disproportionate impact on women, newborns, and young children. Implementing policies and investments focused on cleaner transportation, energy-efficient housing, power generation, industrial processes, and improved municipal waste management can significantly reduce key sources of outdoor air pollution.
How does air pollution affect our health?
Air pollution exposure is associated with oxidative stress and inflammation in human cells, which may lay a foundation for chronic diseases and cancer. Many studies have established that short-term exposure to higher levels of outdoor air pollution is associated with reduced lung function, asthma, cardiac problems, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions. Mortality rates related to air pollution are also a concern. Exposure to the air pollutant PM2.5 is associated with an increased risk of death.
Public health concerns related to high air pollution exposures include cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and reproductive, neurological, and immune system disorders.
The study of air pollution and its health impacts is constantly evolving.
Cancer
- A significant study involving over 57,000 women revealed that residing near major roadways might heighten a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
- Exposure to benzene, an industrial chemical found in gasoline, has been linked to leukemia and is associated with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
- A long-term study conducted from 2000 to 2016 discovered a connection between lung cancer incidence and greater dependence on coal for energy production.
- Using a national dataset of older adults, researchers identified that prolonged exposure over ten years to PM2.5 and NO2 increased the risks of colorectal and prostate cancers.
Cardiovascular Disease
- Fine particulate matter can adversely affect blood vessel function and accelerate arterial calcification.
- Research has shown that short-term daily exposure to nitrogen oxides in post-menopausal women is linked to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
- Exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) can result in reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein, often referred to as good cholesterol, thereby increasing their risk for cardiovascular disease.
- TRAP also heightens a pregnant woman’s risk of experiencing dangerous changes in blood pressure, known as hypertensive disorders. These disorders are a leading cause of pre-term birth, low birth weight, and maternal and fetal illness and death.
Respiratory Illnesses
- Air pollution has been shown to impact lung development and is associated with the onset of emphysema, asthma, and various other respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- The rise in asthma cases and their increased severity have been connected to urbanization and exposure to outdoor air pollutants. Children residing in low-income urban areas exhibit higher asthma rates compared to others. Research released in 2023 identified two specific air pollutants, ozone and PM2.5, as contributors to asthma-related alterations in children’s airways.
- In a study involving 50,000 women nationwide, prolonged exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and nitrogen dioxide was correlated with an increased risk of chronic bronchitis.
Whom does air pollution affect the most?
Air pollution affects everyone’s health, but certain groups may be harmed more. Almost 9 out of 10 people who live in urban areas worldwide are affected by air pollution.
Children
- Elevated air pollution levels contribute to an increase in short-term respiratory infections, resulting in more frequent school absences.
- Children who participate in multiple outdoor sports and reside in areas with high ozone levels have a greater likelihood of developing asthma.
- Those living near heavily trafficked roads face a higher risk of asthma development.
- Exposure to significant amounts of air pollutants during childhood is associated with a higher probability of experiencing bronchitis symptoms in adulthood.
- Furthermore, residing in communities with elevated pollution levels can lead to lung damage.
Other studies on women and children
- Inhaling PM2.5, even at relatively low concentrations, can impact the size of a child’s developing brain, potentially elevating the risk for cognitive and emotional issues during adolescence.
- A comprehensive study examining over 1 million birth records found a link between prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and an increased risk of cerebral palsy. This discovery contributes to understanding environmental risk factors for cerebral palsy and offers insights into prevention strategies, although further research is necessary. Prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been associated with effects on brain development, including reduced processing speed, symptoms of attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other neurobehavioral challenges in urban youth.
- Prenatal air pollution exposure may influence the onset of ADHD-related behavioral issues during childhood.
- Exposure to particulate matter during pregnancy has been linked to a higher likelihood of low birth weight.
- Pregnant women exposed to elevated levels of fine particulate matter, especially during their third trimester, may face up to double the risk of giving birth to a child with autism.
- Exposure to PM2.5 during the second and third trimesters could raise the probability of children developing high blood pressure in early life.
- A large study involving over 300,000 women discovered that long-term exposure to air pollution, particularly ozone and PM2.5, both during and after pregnancy, heightens the risk of postpartum depression.
- Another study, with data on more than 5 million infants, evaluated the connections between prenatal exposure to wildfire smoke and the likelihood of preterm birth. The researchers observed that exposure to elevated levels of wildfire particulate matter at any stage of pregnancy was linked to an increased risk of preterm birth.
Older adults
- A comprehensive, nationally representative study examined the relationship between PM2.5 from various sources and the onset of dementia. The findings indicated that emissions from agriculture, traffic, coal combustion, and wildfires were specifically linked to higher rates of dementia.
- Air pollution has been associated with an increased risk of developing various neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia.
- Another study, analyzing data from 10-year exposures, also identified a link between carbon monoxide (CO) and PM2.5 and a heightened risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
- Osteoporosis is more prevalent in women than men. A significant study connected high levels of air pollutants to bone damage, particularly in the lumbar spine, among postmenopausal women. This research builds on earlier findings that associate air pollution with bone damage.
The Importance of Improving Air Quality
- Air pollution and birth outcomes are interconnected global public health issues. Researchers examined indoor and outdoor air pollution data from all inhabited continents alongside crucial pregnancy outcomes. Their findings suggest that reducing PM2.5 exposure could significantly decrease the incidence of low-birth weight and preterm births worldwide.
- Studies suggest that enhancing air quality could boost cognitive function and lower the risk of dementia.
- The closure of fossil-fuel power plants leads to a reduction in nearby air pollution. A study found that the rate of preterm births decreased within a 5-kilometer radius of decommissioned coal and oil-powered plant sites.
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