The largest environmental threat that we face in terms of our health is the quality of the air we breathe. Every day we breathe no less that fifteen thousand litres of air, but according to the World Health Organisation, this is the cause of seven million deaths each year. One in eight deaths on the planet can be linked to the consequences of air pollution. In Europe alone, the impact of atmospherical pollution costs 1.4 billion euros. 

The cause of this impact is well known as sources of pollution include traffic, industrial work, heating and the effects of agriculture.  Indeed, polluted air is full of small particles, often toxic, that manage to infiltrate our lungs and impact our health. This leads to such conditions as asthma, cardiovascular illnesses and even cancer. More and more medical studies are being published specifically on the effects of air pollution on people’s health.

But there is also, even today, a lack of documentation when it comes to levels of pollution in large swathes of the world. For instance Africa does not figure, or figures very little, in the World Health Organisation’s database on air quality and air pollution. This is mainly because of a lack of systems in place to measure and log the contents of the air in their cities. 

So a lot still needs to be done to get an full picture of the current situation but there is enough evidence available as it is to demonstrate that air pollution is a serious and continued threat that needs to be tackled. 

What impact does poor air quality have on our health?