The air quality in the national capital has once again started to dip, making it necessary to discuss the consequences of pollution. High levels of air pollution can have a number of negative health effects. It can raise the chances of getting respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer.
People dealing with respiratory issues like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung disease face even more severe consequences.
According to the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute’s 2022 report, India is the most second polluted country in the world. Over 510 million people, or around 40 per cent of the country’s population, live in the Indo-Gangetic plains of Northern India where pollution levels regularly rise magnitudes more than the guidelines put out by the World Health Organization.
5 health consequences due to increased pollution:
1. Asthma attacks: Air pollution can aggravate people’s asthma conditions and even trigger a new attack. As per the US Environmental Protection Agency, air pollution affected 6 million children in the United States in 2018.
2. Cardiovascular disease: People are at a higher risk of experiencing heart attacks and strokes due to poor air quality.
3. Low birth weight of an infant: Air pollution may increase the risk of low infant birth weight as well as infant mortality.
4. Developmental damage: The high number of particulate matter in the air can also contribute to stunted lung development in children. This can harm their health and reduce their lung function later in life.
5. Lung cancer: Scientific studies have found that people who were regularly exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 air pollution are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer and other cancers.
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It is everyone’s responsibility to combat air pollution. Concerted and coordinated efforts with active participation from all sectors are required. This includes the government (national, state, and local), cities, the community as a whole, and individuals.
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