Air Pollution is destroying our health

 90% of children are breathing toxic air, Even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse effects depends on your current health status, the pollutant type, and concentration, and therefore the length of your exposure to the polluted air.

Instant health problems, Could cause by High air pollution levels:

• Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness
• Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
• Damaged cells in the respiratory system
• permanent health effects due to Long-term exposure to polluted air:
• Accelerated aging of the lungs
• Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function
• Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
• Shortened life span

Those most susceptible to severe health problems from air pollution are:

• Individuals with heart disease, coronary artery disease, or congestive heart failure
• Individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pregnant women
• Outdoor workers
• Older adults and the elderly
• Children under age 14
• Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors
• People in these groups may experience health impacts at lower air pollution exposure levels, or their health effects could also be of greater intensity.

WHO’s report says Worldwide ambient air pollution accounts for:

• 29% of all deaths and disease from lung cancer
• 17% of all deaths and disease from an acute lower respiratory infection
• 24% of all deaths from stroke
• 25% of all deaths and disease from ischaemic heart disease
• 43% of all deaths and disease from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Pollutants with the strongest evidence for a public health concern, include particulate (PM), ozone (O3), dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The health risks associated with particulate matter of less than 10 and 2.5 microns in diameter (PM10 and PM2.5) are especially well documented. PM is capable of penetrating deep into lung passageways and entering the bloodstream causing cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory impacts. In 2013, it was classified as a cause of lung cancer by WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It is also the foremost widely used indicator to assess the health effects from exposure to ambient pollution.