Air Pollution Emergency Update: Public Health Dangers Not Tackled Enough, Scientists Warn

Just recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned about the occurrence of air pollution emergency, stressing that most of the world already inhales polluted air. Now, researchers are warning about the present European Union limits on air pollution not being low enough to protect people and tackle public health dangers.

According to Independent, living in a polluted environment affects the blood pressure just as how becoming overweight does. This is based on the world's largest study about the effects of fossil fuel emission on human health. Researchers say their findings suggest that the air pollution limits are not strict enough to deal with public health dangers.

The said limits have been breached in parts of the UK. The Government was taken to the court, and therefore was forced to introduce measures to address the problem. Reports say that in UK alone, 40,000 people die prematurely every year due to the air they breathe.

Furthermore, the new study focused on traffic noise and air pollution effects on 41,000 people in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Spain, and Sweden for nine years. None of the respondents suffered from high blood pressure when the study started, but more than 6,200 said they had developed the condition during the period. They started taking medications to lower blood pressure.

Additionally, researchers discovered that people living in polluted urban areas were more likely to suffer from high blood pressure compared to those living in less polluted cities. It is important to take note that such risk was similar to those having normal body mass index but have become overweight.

Meanwhile, WHO warned that air pollution is wrecking havoc on human health. Just recently, CNN reported that 92 percent of the world population breathes polluted air; hence the air pollution emergency. WHO released an air quality map in which most of the world did not meet its guidelines. The organization stressed that it is a concerning public issue, for polluted air can harm the lungs, heart, and brain; and may even cause premature death. Reports likewise say that despite the air pollution being a common knowledge, the measures done to get rid of it are still not enough.

The aforementioned situation is a clear indication of an air pollution emergency. As of writing, solving the problem remains a struggle.