You might have heard that Air pollution causes 9,500 deaths a year, but what does this mean exactly? No one has ever had ‘poor air quality’ as a cause of death, and there is no such thing as ‘air pollution disease’. So, what’s all the fuss about I hear you ask?
Well, let’s discuss the main pollutants that cause these health problems: particulate matter and Nitrogen Dioxide. These toxic pollutants affect our lives a little bit at a time, but don’t have an instant effect – it’s more likely they are killing us slowly and affecting the very young and elderly the most.
Particulate Matter
These are particles that are 10 micrograms and smaller in diameter – smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair. These are easily ingested and so build up in your lungs and are likely to make cardiovascular diseases worse. Particulate matter is mainly made up of Sodium Chloride, Carbon, Trace metal and Mineral components. A major source of these pollutants are commercial and residential properties, industrial combustion, and road transport.
Nitrogen Dioxide
This is a gas, and is linked with causing respiratory problems and making asthma worse, because it inflames the lining of the lungs, making it more difficult to breath. It has been very difficult to get substantive evidence for the negative side effects this is having for health. The main source of NO2 is burning fossil fuels, most commonly in road transport and power stations.
I hope this has given you a better insight to what people are talking about when they mention air quality.