Air Pollution Facts
Everyone on earth knows that air pollution is hazardous to health. The effects of air pollution can have devastating effects on your health and the environment. Here is an interesting way to analyze how air pollution is gradually causing so many deaths worldwide. One may even to fail to count the effects of air pollution and the striking figures floating around this environmental issue.
What is Air Pollution?
According to Wikipedia, “Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment or built environment“.
Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. It occurs when the air contains harmful amount of gases, dust, fumes and odour.
Below are 40 facts on air pollution
Fact 1: An average American breathe 2 gallons of air per minute which means around 3400 gallons of air each day.
Fact 2: Inhaling Air pollution takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human life.
Fact 3: It has effects as small as burning eyes and itchy throat to as large as breathing problems and death.
Fact 4: Pollutants that are more dangerous are released in the air, than in water or land.
Fact 5: Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing has brought a new disease – Beijing cough.
Fact 6: Air pollution has been existing for a very long time. In London, 8,000 people died due to the Great Smog of 1952.
Fact 7: European Union can save 161 billion per year by reducing death caused due to air pollution.
Fact 8: Electric vehicles produce less air pollutants. They stir up dirt but without producing gases.
Fact 9: Producing heavy crude oil increases chances of air pollution by 40% than producing light crude oil.
Fact 10: According to the Lancet journal, air pollution caused by waiting in traffic increases the chances of death caused due to heart attack.
Fact 11: Toxic air pollution is more likely to affect kids as they breathe more quickly than adults as compared to their size.
Fact 12: Asia is the fastest growing continent in terms of increasing air pollution and the deaths cause by the same.
Fact 13: Air pollution that causes smog effects dolphins and makes them suffer from black lung diseases.
Fact 14: 70% of the air pollution caused in Chinese cities is due to tailpipes.
Fact 15: 5,000 premature deaths in Southern California are caused due to pollution from diesel trucks.
Fact 16: Travels at Grand Canyon are unable to see the other side due to air pollution, is 1000 miles away.
Fact 17: The most hazardous pollutants are released from the air and less from the water and land together.
Fact 18: The best ways to reduce air pollution are by walking and riding bicycle.
Fact 19: A single bus caries passengers which are likely to drive 40 cars.
Fact 20: 28% of the Americans believe they are most affected by air pollution caused by vehicles.
Fact 21: Air pollution in China can travel up to Central Valley of California.
Fact 22: Outdoor air pollution outdoor, ranks in the top ten killers on earth.
Fact 23: 65% of the deaths in Asia and 25% deaths in India are due to air pollution.
Fact 24: 2 million cars in Manila, Philippines cause 80% of air pollution.
Fact 25: Air pollution in India is estimated to cause 527, 700 deaths every year.
Fact 26: The number of people who die in America every year due to air pollution is above 50,000.
Fact 27: 80% of lung diseases are caused due to pollution from other cars, buses, trucks and other vehicles.
Fact 28: It is estimated that 750,000 people die in china prematurely due to air pollution.
Fact 29: Research by MIT proves that around 13,000 British citizens die due to air pollution from vehicles an power plants.
Fact 30: Air pollution in California kills 25,000 people per year and costs $200 million worth of medical expenses.
Fact 31: 300,000 in China die every year due heart disease and lung cancer cause by air pollution.
Fact 32: People in many cities wear masks continually to save themselves from air pollution.
Fact 33: Heavy crude oil increases air pollution 40% more than light crude oil.
Fact 34: Air pollution caused in traffic increase the chances of heart attack.
Fact 35: By 2050, 6 million people will die per year due to air pollution.
Fact 36: During heavy traffic jam, pollutants outside can seep into your car, making the air inside you car 10 times more polluted than typical city air.
Fact 37: According to the California Department of Education, Asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism.
Fact 38: Indoor air pollution is 2-5 times worse than the air outdoors.
Fact 39: People who live near high traffic roads face greater risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma and bronchitis as these places contain more concentrated levels of air pollution.
Fact 40: Switching to more efficient and cleaner fuels from solid fuels(wood, biomass) can help you to reduce indoor air pollution.
We can do a lot more to contribute to human happiness by following many little steps. Riding a cycle, using public transport, burning less coal on barbeque are like small steps to create a healthy prosperous environment for the future generations and ourselves. Imagine our little acts can do so much like saving thousands of people who die due to cancer, heart attack or other air borne diseases. The figures are definitely striking. So let your action do some act of heroism and make this world a pollution- free, healthier safer world to live in.
References:
http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/air-pollution/air-pollution-facts.html
http://ccair.org/facts-about-air-pollution/10-air-pollution-facts