Hey there! Thanks for stopping by
Pardon me for being too cheerful
Learnt anything and everything in a whistle-stop tour of atmospheric chemistry, physics, and questions about climate change. This means my outlook is getting a little bleak. Climate change isn’t just a danger “for the next generation”, but for all of us here and now. Pollution and particles in the atmosphere pose one of the most perilous threats to human health. Below I have picked a few of the most extreme examples that really gave me goosebumps.
For starters: more people died from air pollution in 2017 than malaria and AIDS combined. Globally, over 5 million deaths are attributed to inhalation of tiny particulate matter microscopically spread in the air. When these particles are particularly tiny, they are referred to as PM2.5 (because they’re less than 2.5 microns in diameter). They can work their way into our lungs, our bloodstreams, and effect our chemistry and biology. It can increase the risk of respiratory cancers and diseases, stroke, brain inflammation, and heart disease.
Back in 2009, one particular study demonstrated how the proximity to busy, polluted roads affects the resulting score on Alzheimer’s tests. The closer elderly people lived, the worse their scores turned out.
It’s a combination of both indoor and outdoor pollution that leads to these high death rates and significant effects on health. In urban hubs, especially in developing nations, we have smogs, hazes, and industrial pollutants that can’t be avoided if you’re walking down the street. Cities are dirty and rife with particulate pollution. Also read that parts of London has already exceed the UK’s national limit for pollution this year (and it’s only February people!).
However, our homes are also being exposed to these pesky PM2.5 particles. Home is a word that, to most people, brings to mind comfort and safety. In reality, some of the most vulnerable in society are exposed to deadly pollution in their own living spaces. This isn’t new stuff though. For example, if we look back at the evidence of sinusitis in archaeological remains, there’s more of it going around in Saxon times than in the neighbouring Roman and Medieval eras. The increased sinusitis rate is often linked to a lack of chimneys in Saxon buildings, so a higher exposure to soot and poor quality air.
But what about the modern day? According to the W.H.O - 3 billion people cook on solid fuel stoves or fires (e.g. wood, coal) and if these homes are poorly ventilated, the exposure to the PM2.5 can be up to 100x greater. This has been attributed as a factor in over 4 million deaths worldwide, with women and children often more exposed to these indoor heating and cooking particulates.
With legislation and education, we can and we will solve these problems. Take for example the well-known first runner-up in the last US Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton. She started the ‘Global Alliance For Clean Cookstoves’ in 2010 with the aim of providing 100 million stoves by 2020. Despite providing millions of cleaner replacement cookstoves, it was seen that their performance in the field wasn’t matched by what they believed in the lab. I think this only goes to highlight the importance of scientific research and continued efforts to improve the air quality of people globally.
By working with local governments, scientific communities, and educating each other on the risks of pollution and climatic change we can all fight these dangerous problems together and build a healthier world for our own lovely lungs.
