Hello and welcome readers to the first official entry of my blog! Today, I will introduce you to air pollution and provide an overview on its significance in our world today.
The World Health Organization (n.d.) found that air pollution is mainly attributed to chemical, physical, or biological agents that contaminate outdoor and indoor environments. Yes, you read that right – staying indoors does not spare you from the harmful effects of air pollution. In fact, a recent blog post by the World Bank suggests that an astonishing 94% of the global population is breathing air deemed to be unsafe and excessively polluted!
The predominant air pollutants include particulate matter (also known as PM10 and PM2.5), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide (NSW Health, n.d.). Most of us tend to associate air pollution with burning fossil fuels, industrial activity and vehicle use. However, we often overlook the emission of greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide and methane) from processes like agriculture production and livestock cultivation which adversely impact air quality in their own right. Moreover, even simple everyday tasks like cooking and cleaning are primarily culpable for indoor air pollution (Keegan, 2020). Isn’t that shocking?
So why should air pollution be of concern? Beyond accounting for 7 million global deaths annually (UNECE, n.d.), the repercussions of air pollution extend to the realms of society, environment, and climate. Experts have noted that financial limitations and socio-political circumstances impede any progress in a structured approach towards tackling an extensive and heterogenous range of air pollutants (Krupnick, 2008). Indeed, the title of this blog “What goes into the air stays in the air” is inspired by the fact that some air pollutants have extremely long residence times (the duration for which a substance remains in an environment, in this case the atmosphere) of up to 50,000 years. Even if emissions of pollutants were to hypothetically cease at this very moment, the grave effects of air pollution will likely continue to manifest for a long time.
Figure 1. Diagram illustrating the atmospheric residence times of various air pollutants (Ferreira, 2008)
And that wraps up my first entry! I do hope that you have gained a better understanding of the term “air pollution” and how its dire consequences warrant our concern and prompt action. In the next entry, we will begin to investigate various reasons for modern day air pollution. Stay tuned!
Until then, breathe safe and be safe!
References
Ferreira, A. P. (2008). Public health and environmental pollution: Precautionary paradigms. Revista Brasileira Em Promoção Da Saúde, 69–74. https://doi.org/10.5020/18061230.2008.p69
Keegan, M. (2020). The surprising dangers of cooking and cleaning. BBC Future. Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200909-why-indoor-air-pollution-is-an-overlooked-problem
Krupnick, A. J. (2008). Challenges of Managing Air Pollution. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, 13–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/15287390701557404
NSW Health. (n.d.). Air Quality – Outdoor Air Pollution. Outdoor air pollution – Air quality. Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/air/Pages/outdoor-air-pollution.aspx
UNECE. (n.d.). Air Pollution and health. Air pollution and health. Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://unece.org/air-pollution-and-health
World Health Organization. (n.d.). Air Pollution. World Health Organization. Retrieved January 16, 2023, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1