Clear the air, Save our future.

Pollution is the presence in or the introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effect. It's the second leading risk factor for death worldwide,making it responsible for roughly 8.1 million deaths annually.This makes it a more significant killer than tobacco usage.

Pollution does not only damage surroundings, it’s a physical invasion to our body. Roughly 700,000 children under five die each year from pollution- related causes.This represents about 15% of all deaths in this age group.Pollution is extremely dangerous for kids especially since their bodies have not yet fully developed.They inhale a higher concentration of toxic relative to their body weight.This is lethal as early exposure to these toxins can trigger epigenetic changes;meaning they are much more likely to develop cancer,heart disease and asthma later in life.

Pollution isn’t just dangerous to children,it also deeply affects adults too.Fine particulate matter(PM2.5) enters the bloodstream and causes systemic inflammation.This thickens the blood and creates arterial plaques;leading directly to strokes and heart disease.

Luckily,we can still address pollution and hopefully decrease the number of deaths and health issues caused by it. Using HEPA filters,we can purify air by removing a high percentage of airborne particles. This has shown to improve asthma symptoms in children. Moreover, we can also address pollution by choosing to walk or cycle instead of driving.This not only helps fix pollution as it eliminates toxic fumes and microplastics from tires that enter our systems;it also offers health benefits through exercise.

We can all make a change if we try. I hope that by reading this article, you understand the depth of pollution! If we work together,we can eliminate it completely.

References

Cover image-https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/toxic-pollution-inside-the-human-body-gm881904084-245487324

State of Global Air 2024 Report - Health Effects Institute

State of Global Air 2024-Health of Children

IARC Scientific publication:Air pollution and cancer

WHO Ambient(outdoor) air quality fact sheet

National Institutes of Health (NIH) website:

HEPA filtration improves asthma control in children exposed to traffic-related airborne particles