Air Pollution Facts

Everyone on earth knows that air pollution is hazardous to health. The effects of air pollution can have devastating effects on your health and the environment. Here is an interesting way to analyze how air pollution is gradually causing so many deaths worldwide. One may even to fail to count the effects of air pollution and the striking figures floating around this environmental issue.

What is Air Pollution?

According to Wikipedia, “Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment or built environment“.

Below are 40 Facts on Air Pollution

Fact 1: An average American breathe 2 gallons of air per minute which means around 3400 gallons of air each day.

Fact 2: Inhaling air pollution takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human life.

Fact 3: It has effects as small as burning eyes and itchy throat to as large as breathing problems and death.

Fact 4: Pollutants that are released into the air, as opposed to land and water pollutants, are the most harmful.

Fact 5: Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing has brought a new disease – Beijing cough.

Fact 6: Air pollution is not a recent occurrence. In 1952, the Great Smog of London killed 8000 people.

Fact 7: Deaths caused by air pollution cost the European Union €161 billion.

Fact 8: Electric vehicles produce less air pollutants. They stir up dirt but without producing gases.

Fact 9: Producing heavy crude oil increases chances of air pollution by 40% than producing light crude oil.

Fact 10: According to the Lancet journal, air pollution caused by waiting in traffic increases the chances of death caused due to heart attack.

Fact 11: Toxic air pollution poses a greater threat to children, due to their smaller physical size and lung capacity.

Fact 12: Air pollution and resulting deaths are increasing fastest in Asia.

Fact 13: Air pollution that causes smog affects dolphins and makes them suffer from black lung diseases.

Fact 14: 70% of the air pollution caused in Chinese cities is due to tailpipes.

Fact 15: 5,000 premature deaths in Southern California are caused due to pollution from diesel trucks.

Fact 16: Travels at Grand Canyon are unable to see the other side due to air pollution, is 1000 miles away.

Fact 17: The most hazardous pollutants are released from the air and less from the water and land together.

Fact 18: The best ways to reduce air pollution are by walking and riding bicycle.

Fact 19: A single bus caries passengers which are likely to drive 40 cars.

Fact 20: 28% of the Americans believe they are most affected by air pollution caused by vehicles.

We can do a lot more to contribute to human happiness by following many little steps. Riding a cycle, using public transport, burning less coal on barbeque are like small steps to create a healthy prosperous environment for the future generations and ourselves. Imagine our little acts can do so much like saving thousands of people who die due to cancer, heart attack or other air borne diseases. The figures are definitely striking. So let your action do some act of heroism and make this world a pollution- free, healthier safer world to live in.

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