The Suffocating Truth About Air Pollution

October 10, 2019

When you’re walking your dog, strolling through the park or making your way down the street to grab a bite to eat, do you give any thought to the air you’re breathing? Nearly 95% of the world live in areas where pollution levels are higher than deemed safe by the World Health Organization, and data show air pollution caused 8.8 million premature deaths in 2015. Whether you realize it or not, air pollution is a major problem, and 45 families in the U.K. set out to show you just how serious it is.

The families participated in a project with the University of Sheffield in Yorkshire to monitor the quality of the air they breathed on their journey to school each day. Each family was giving a monitoring device and carried it with them as they walked, biked or drove to the school to drop off their children. The study showed some alarming results: On their way to school each week, some children are breathing in so much polluted air, it’s equivalent to almost a full pack of cigarettes.
According to the monitoring devices, the families who drove to school breathed in the most polluted air — less than those who biked or walked. However, every method of transport resulted in breathing in more polluted air than recognized as “safe” by the World Health Organization.
Research shows the number of people dying early from air pollution is 1 million more each year than death caused by smoking. Nitrogen-based fertilizer, fossil fuels and industrial chemical production are the three largest contributors. Rising rates of pollution trigger lower life expectancy, lower intelligence, low birth weight, premature birth and health conditions such as autism, attention deficit disorder, cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer. Children bear an even greater burden as they are exposed before birth. Their respiratory rate is faster, and they inhale more air pollution into their smaller, developing bodies. They also are expected to live longer, giving more time for diseases to emerge.
Although you may not be able to control pollution levels outside your home, you can make changes to your diet to mitigate damage, and decrease indoor air pollution originating from cleaners, carpeting, personal care products and furniture. Not only will you reduce your risk of developing chronic health conditions, research shows improving air quality also benefits your mental health by reducing psychological stress.