Md. Mekail Ahmed
Air pollution has become a worldwide problem. Being exposed to polluted air has a negative impact on one’s health. Because air pollution has been linked to serious illnesses such as lung disease, cancer, heart disease, and stroke, it is referred to as a “new type of smoking.” Polluted air outside the home has reduced life expectancy by an average of three years, more than any previous study and even more than smoking has reduced life expectancy.
According to a study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Research, air pollution reduces life expectancy by nearly ten times the average life expectancy per year in all types of conflicts on Earth, including war. According to scientists, the number of deaths caused by smoking will surpass the number of deaths caused by air pollution every year.
The issue of life expectancy is inextricably linked to the issue of air pollution. We should also look into whether our average life expectancy has risen or fallen. According to the Life Index, air pollution has cut global life expectancy by 2.2 years. Researchers believe that a long-term clean air policy that reduces the use of fossil fuels could increase life expectancy while also contributing to positive climate change. According to the World Health Organization, smoking kills more than 7.2 million people worldwide each year. According to the study, more than 6 million people died directly as a result of their use of cigarettes and tobacco products.
Moreover, According to the researchers, less attention has been paid to air pollution in recent decades than to smoking. They believe that reducing fossil fuel emissions to zero would increase average life expectancy. The study also discovered that the long-term effects of air pollution are more pronounced at the national and regional levels.
In East Asian countries, for example, the average life expectancy has dropped to four years, with Oceania having the lowest decline. The effects of air pollution vary from country to country. Due to air pollution, the average lifespan on the African country Chad has decreased by more than seven years, while in Colombia it has decreased by a little over four months. Elderly people are most at risk of death due to air pollution. The health risks are also higher in the elderly. Scientists have found that heart disease is the leading cause of death, followed by lung infections, so older people are at greater risk of dying from air pollution.
The respiratory system is the most vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. Asthma, lung cancer, and stroke can all result from this. The majority of air pollution is caused by brick kilns. The number of brick kilns is growing by the day. Simultaneously, the level of air pollution is rising. Fossil fuels are a major contributor to air pollution.
The public transportation system has not improved. If the public transportation system is not controlled, it will be impossible to reduce the use of private vehicles and thus the use of such fuels.
Air pollution damages the blood vessels in the human heart, increasing oxidative stress, which in turn leads to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, heart-failure and diabetes. Air pollution is a major threat to health systems around the world. It is no longer a secret that air pollution is the new smoke. So it’s time for those who work with public health to be more serious.
In recent times, we have seen the Indian government declare a state of emergency in the capital, Delhi, in the face of public health concerns. Even there the school was closed for a few days. People have been warned to stay home. Thousands of patients have been admitted to hospitals for respiratory diseases. Because Delhi is an uninhabitable city in terms of air pollution. This is happening due to polluted air. The air in Delhi, the capital of India, is the most polluted in the world. Delhi is now called the ‘Gas Chamber’. Five of the six most polluted cities in the world are in northern India. That is why Delhi is not the only city in northern India where air pollution has reached such alarming proportions. According to a Greenpeace survey, 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India. The level of pollution that the World Health Organization considers acceptable for habitation is several times higher than the pollution in Indian cities alone. Every year 8 million people in the world die prematurely due to air pollution.
The level of air pollution in Dhaka city is increasing day by day. Due to the smog in these densely populated cities like Dhaka and Delhi, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, diabetes and many other types of chronic lung diseases are on the rise.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is not far behind in terms of air pollution. Dhaka city is becoming increasingly uninhabitable. The level of air pollution in Dhaka city is increasing day by day. Due to the smog in these densely populated cities like Dhaka and Delhi, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, diabetes and many other types of chronic lung diseases are on the rise. Nepal and Bangladesh, India’s neighbors in the plains, are also at high risk due to air pollution in northern India. This is because the fog and dust can be carried away by the west wind.
Among the various environmental pollutants, air pollution is the most harmful. Clean air is inevitable for our breathing so there is no other way but to maintain air quality. An estimated 6 million people die each year from air pollution worldwide, of which 4 million live in the Asia-Pacific region. More than ninety percent of those who die as a result of air pollution live in poor countries. A study by the World Health Organization found that about 9 out of every 10 people in the world use excessively polluted air for breathing.
The economic impact of air pollution is not insignificant. Air pollution costs the world economy about 5 trillion a year. Moreover, ground-level ozone pollution is expected to reduce the world’s major crop production by 26 percent by 2030.
Regrettably, it is true that the overall state of the atmosphere around the world is constantly deteriorating due to environmental protection. The condition of populated cities is deplorable in terms of urban environment management. Cities are becoming uninhabitable day by day. The rich countries of the world are not paying as much attention to the construction of skyscrapers to prevent air pollution. Cities are being built building after building. Due to urbanization and industrialization, eco-friendly plants are being cut down. Uncontrolled urbanization as well as unplanned infrastructural development are mainly responsible for environmental pollution. Finally, in the language of the poet, it is said,
“Give back that forest, take the city.”
The Author is a Researcher and Article writer
Email: mekailahmed117@gmail.com
envreview.com 