In today’s day and age, there is almost no region in this world that is entirely free of pollution. Besides causing damage to the environment, it’s also extremely harmful to humans and animals. From endless respiratory issues and, in many cases, even fatal, air pollution is at high risk globally.
According to statistics, air pollution is responsible for causing between 2.1 to 4.21 million deaths annually. It takes a toll on the economy as well, about 5 trillion dollars per year.
The causes we all are aware of; namely, burning of fossil fuels in factories, carbon monoxide from vehicles, ammonia emitted by agricultural waste, waste deposits from landfills containing methane as some of the manufactured ones, and volcanic activity, wildfires, deforestation, radioactive decay etc. as natural causes.
Impact of Air Pollution on Human
How much and the severity of the negative impacts on humans depends on the geographical location and age groups. For instance, the intensity of people living in southeast Asian regions such as the middle east, India, China, or South American countries like Mexico is much more.
Similarly, those that already have compromised immune systems and respiratory issues such as asthma, older people or infants are more likely to succumb to the adversities of air pollution.
Exposure to air pollution is deadly. From minor issues like coughing, sneezing and headaches to more serious problems such as breathlessness and light head or fainting.
Being exposed to toxic particles such as nitrogen and sulfur dioxide can also lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular problems like strokes, hypertensive disease, heart failure, and pulmonary diseases like bronchitis or COPD, which are fatal if left untreated.
Psychologically, air pollution exposure also makes people feel more irritable, lowering cortisol levels and serotonin levels, making us more likely to feel negative emotions such as aggression or depression, anxiety etc.
There have been cases of patients with schizophrenia, autism, and ADHD in growing children and dementia in older people in more serious situations. Short term memory is common too.
New Delhi: The ‘Breathtaking’ city
As a Delhiite, it is never pleasant to hear all the negative press my city gets, and however, all of it is factual. Indeed, New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and the capital of India has the highest respiratory disease rate globally, according to WHO.
The city’s only respite has received during the pandemic due to lockdowns. Besides that, the incessant traffic leading to vehicular emissions, industrial deposits, burning of crops and animal agriculture has led to the massive deterioration of air quality.
Smog is a major issue as well. The dangerous combination of smoke and fog during the winter season due to stubble burning and garbage creates a heavy and suffocating atmosphere to breathe in. It causes road accidents due to low visibility. Inhaling the poor air quality has been compared to smoking 50 cigarettes a day.
Steps Taken
Measures have been made, and rules have been implemented to try and tackle this toxic environment. Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, has proposed steps such as:
- Air Quality monitoring stations in and around the city
- Working from home
- An app that helps in monitoring leaf burning
- installation of smog towers
- vacuum cleaning and water sprinkling of roads
- BS6 emission vehicles as well as electric/ hybrid cars entirely by 2030
- banning the sale of fireworks and more.
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