HANOI: All loves a breath of fresh air. However, too often our atmosphere is anything but fresh.
Although air quality varies widely from one location to another and on a daily basis, nearly the entire world is exposed to air at some point that doesn’t adhere to the strict standards set forth by the World Health Organization, or about 99 % of the world’s population. Poisoned air, laden with toxic gasses or little, invisible molecules that burrow into human body, kills 7 million people early every year, the U. N. health agency quotes.
And for the millions living in some of the country’s smoggiest cities- many of them in Asia like New Delhi, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bangkok, and Jakarta, Indonesia- negative atmosphere might seem obvious.
However, there are some things people may do, including learning that the weather is not only polluted by its appearance, according to Indian Energy Policy Institute of Chicago’s Tanushree Ganguly.
” Blue stars can’t promise you clean air”, she said.
What are the resources of the most hazardous air particles and what are they? Air substances generally come from people burning points: Fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, diesel and gasoline for power and travel, crops or trees for agricultural purposes, or as a result of wildfires.
Okay, inhalable particles, known as fine issue, are among the most dangerous. The smallest of these, PM 2.5, are known as PM 2.5 because they are less than 2.5 millimeters in diameter and are primarily produced by burning fuels. They may get deeply into people’s breathing. Coarser molecules, known as PM 10, are linked to agriculture, sidewalks, mining or the breeze blowing destroyed dust, according to the WHO.
Another harmful pollutants include gases like nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide, which are also produced by burning fuels, according to Anumita Roychowdhury, an expert on air pollution at the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi.
Different locations and seasons have different levels of air pollutants, and both the source and the intensity vary. For instance, burning agricultural spend is a major contributor to air pollution peaks in cities in Thailand and India, while old motorbikes and business boilers are major contributors to poor air in Jakarta, Indonesia. Brick kilns that burn fuel adds to waste in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s money. Additionally, Brazil and North America experience problems as a result of annual forest fires.
What health issues might environment pollutants bring about? Air pollution is the second-largest risk factor for premature death worldwide, behind high blood pressure, according to a recent review by the Health Effects Institute.
In short, people with medical conditions or the older may have asthma attacks and be more likely to have heart attacks and strokes. Long-term exposure can lead to fatalities for severe heart and lung conditions, including heart condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart diseases.
More than 500 million children in East Asia and the Pacific region breath bad weather, according to a recent study by the U.N. children’s firm, and this air pollution is linked to 100 deaths per day for children under 5 in those countries. June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia, said the polluted air compromises growth, harms lungs and impacts cognitive abilities.
” Every breath matters, but for too many children every breath can bring harm”, she said.
What’s the best way to tell if air is safe? Over 6, 000 cities in 117 countries now monitor air quality, and many weather mobile apps include air quality information. However, it can be confusing to determine how bad the air is by looking at these figures.
Many nations have adopted an air quality index or AQI, a numerical scale where higher numbers indicate worse air quality, to help people understand air quality levels more easily. Additionally, they are frequently assigned different colors to indicate whether or not the air is clean.
However, air quality standards vary depending on the country. For instance, India’s daily PM 2.5 limit is more than 1.5 times higher than that of Thailand and 4 times higher than WHO standards.
This implies that different countries ‘ AQI calculations are performed and that the results are not comparable. This is also the cause of some instances where private companies ‘ AQI scores are different from those of national regulators when operating under stricter standards.
What are the most effective ways to avoid air pollution? The goal, of course, is to limit exposure when air quality is bad, by staying inside or wearing a mask.
Staying inside however, isn’t always possible, especially for people who must live or work outside, noted Danny Djarum, an air quality researcher at the World Resources Institute, an environmental advocacy group. ” They can’t really afford not going out”, he said.
Pakaphol Asavakomolnant, an office worker in Bangkok, said that he wears a mask every day and avoids riding to work on a motorbike. He claimed that he has a sore throat when I wake up at work in the morning and that he forgets to use a mask.
Additionally, people should be aware of indoor air pollution, which is frequently brought on by routine household activities like cooking and burning incense sticks.
What are the benefits- and limitations- of air purifiers? Air purifiers can help reduce indoor air pollution, but they have their limitations. They accomplish this by removing air from a room, pushing it through a filter that traps pollutants before moving it back.
However, they are most effective when used in small spaces and when people are close by. Air purifiers can only clean a certain amount of air, said Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, who studies urban air quality at the National University of Singapore. ” If we have a tiny air purifier in a large room, it won’t be effective”, he said.
In many developing nations, air purifiers are too expensive.
” The majority of people who are affected by air pollution can’t really afford air purifiers”, said WRI’s Djarum.
