Bronte Wells
Air pollution is a silent killer that claims millions of lives annually, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating a death toll of 7 million people every year. This figure comprises 4.2 million deaths from outdoor air pollution and 3.8 million from indoor air pollution caused by burning wood and charcoal. While the number of deaths is staggeringly high, there is a glimmer of hope in the data. Air pollution deaths may be reaching a peak, with emissions declining rapidly in many upper-middle-income countries due to technological advancements. Nevertheless, air pollution remains a critical issue, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment, and requiring urgent action from governments and societies worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of deaths caused by air pollution | 4.5 million-8.8 million people per year |
| Number of deaths caused by indoor air pollution | 3.8 million people per year |
| Number of deaths caused by outdoor air pollution | 4.2 million-4.5 million people per year |
| Number of deaths caused by air pollution in 2021 | 8.1 million people |
| Number of deaths caused by air pollution among children under five years | 700,000 people in 2021 |
| Number of deaths caused by air pollution among children under five years due to household air pollution | 500,000 people in 2021 |
| Number of deaths caused by long-term exposure to ozone | 489,518 people in 2021 |
| Number of ozone-related COPD deaths in the United States | 14,000 people in 2021 |
| Number of infant deaths caused by exposure to PM2.5 | 449,000 people in 2015 |
| Percentage of infant deaths caused by exposure to PM2.5 | 22% |
| Number of deaths caused by air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina | Data unavailable |
| Number of countries with reliable real-time air quality monitoring in Africa | 7 out of 54 |
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What You'll Learn
Air pollution kills millions annually
Air pollution is a silent killer, claiming millions of lives annually and affecting the health of millions more. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 7 million people die each year from indoor and outdoor air pollution, with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) giving a similar figure of 6.7 million. Another source suggests that the number could be as high as 8.1 million, as recorded in 2021. These figures are higher than the death toll from smoking, which is around 8 million, and hundreds of times higher than deaths from terrorism or war.
Outdoor air pollution alone is responsible for the premature deaths of 4.5 million people annually, according to the latest estimates. This includes exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone, which can cause strokes, heart diseases, lung cancer, and acute and chronic respiratory diseases. The largest source of natural outdoor air pollution is airborne dust from deserts, while the burning of fossil fuels and solid fuels for cooking, heating, and electricity production are significant anthropogenic sources.
Indoor air pollution, caused by burning wood, charcoal, and other solid fuels, also contributes significantly to the overall death toll. In 2021, it was linked to the deaths of 500,000 children under five, with many more suffering from asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory ailments. Overall, air pollution is a major threat to public health, and it is essential to address it through policy interventions, cleaner technologies, and improved access to healthcare and nutrition.
While there is some hope that we may be approaching "peak pollution deaths", with air quality improving in some regions, air pollution remains a critical issue. It is a global problem, with vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries disproportionately affected. The transition to clean energy sources and the implementation of sustainable practices can help reduce air pollution and save millions of lives.
The impact of air pollution extends beyond the death toll, causing economic losses and imposing tremendous strains on healthcare systems, economies, and societies. It is a human rights issue, and governments have a responsibility to tackle it through interventions that address its causes and protect people during severe air pollution events.
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Indoor air pollution
Air pollution is a major threat to health and climate, and it is a public health emergency. While air pollution is falling in many countries, it is still one of the world's biggest killers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 3.2 million people died prematurely from indoor air pollution in 2020, including over 237,000 children under the age of five. This number is even higher when combined with the effects of outdoor air pollution, leading to 6.7 million premature deaths annually.
Household air pollution is caused by the use of inefficient and polluting fuels and technologies, such as wood, animal dung, charcoal, agricultural waste, and kerosene, in open fires or inefficient stoves. These fuels contain a range of health-damaging pollutants, including small particles that penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. In poorly ventilated dwellings, indoor smoke can have levels of fine particles up to 100 times higher than acceptable. Exposure to household air pollution can cause various health issues, including burning eyes, coughing, nose and throat irritation, and more severe problems such as pneumonia in children, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease in adults.
Women and children, who typically spend the most time near the domestic hearth and are responsible for household chores such as cooking and collecting firewood, bear the greatest health burden from indoor air pollution. In many parts of Africa, exposure to fine particulate matter is extremely high due to the reliance on solid fuels for cooking and dust from the African deserts, particularly the Sahara. A study found that a 10μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 concentration was associated with a 9% rise in infant mortality, resulting in 449,000 infant deaths in 2015 alone in the studied countries.
To address the issue of indoor air pollution, the WHO has developed and implemented strategies to raise awareness about the risks and provide solutions. They offer normative guidance, such as the Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Household Fuel Combustion, which provides evidence-based recommendations on clean fuels and technologies. These include solar, electricity, biogas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, alcohol fuels, and biomass stoves that meet emission targets. The WHO also provides technical support and capacity-building assistance to countries and regions to evaluate and scale up the use of health-promoting household fuels and technologies.
Interventions and development have led to significant reductions in indoor air pollution-related deaths in some countries. For example, China has focused on replacing coal-burning cookstoves with cleaner devices, while India has expanded access to clean fuels like LPG. Together, these two countries have seen a reduction of over 440,000 deaths attributable to household air pollution over the past decade.
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Outdoor air pollution
Outdoor workers are another group that faces a higher risk of health issues caused by outdoor air pollution due to the amount of time they spend exposed to air pollution on bad air quality days, often engaged in strenuous activity that increases their breathing rate and the amount of polluted air they inhale.
Estimates of the death toll from outdoor air pollution range from 3 million to 4.2 million people per year. However, some scientists believe this number could be even bigger, with some studies estimating that at least 9 million people die every year from outdoor air pollution.
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Air pollution and climate change
Air pollution is a silent killer, claiming millions of lives each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution kills approximately 7 million people annually, with 4.2 million deaths attributed to outdoor air pollution and 3.8 million to indoor air pollution from burning wood and charcoal. This death toll is similar to that caused by smoking and significantly higher than deaths from road accidents or natural disasters.
Outdoor air pollution is caused by various human activities, including the production of electricity, particularly in coal power plants, the burning of solid fuels for cooking and heating, agriculture, industry, and road transport. Residential energy use, vehicles, power generation, waste incineration, and industrial processes are among the significant contributors to outdoor pollution.
Indoor air pollution, on the other hand, is primarily caused by the use of polluting open fires or simple stoves for cooking fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung, and crop waste), and coal. Around 2.4 billion people worldwide are exposed to dangerous levels of household air pollution due to these practices.
Climate change can also worsen air quality. For example, hot sunny days associated with a warming climate can increase ground-level ozone, a greenhouse gas, in some areas. Increased temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations can lengthen the pollen season and increase pollen production, affecting air quality and triggering allergic reactions. Extreme weather events, such as flooding, can create damp indoor conditions, leading to the growth of harmful pollutants like mould and bacteria. Wildfires, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change, release smoke that reduces air quality and harms human health.
Addressing air pollution offers a "win-win" strategy for both health and climate. Reducing air pollution can lower the burden of diseases like respiratory and heart ailments, while also contributing to the mitigation of climate change by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as methane and black carbon. SLCPs, despite their short atmospheric lifetimes, have a significant global warming potential and contribute to environmental degradation, ecosystem damage, and adverse health effects.
While air pollution remains a significant challenge, there is hope. Air quality in many upper-middle-income countries is improving, and some of the poorest countries may be able to skip the curve of peak air pollution altogether. By implementing policies that promote sustainable land use, cleaner energy and transport, energy-efficient housing, and better waste management, we can effectively reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change.
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Air pollution and infant deaths
Air pollution is a major global health threat, causing millions of premature deaths each year. Outdoor air pollution from sources such as power generation, vehicles, and industry, as well as indoor air pollution from cooking and heating with solid fuels, contribute to this significant toll. While air pollution affects people of all ages, infants are particularly vulnerable.
Infant mortality rates due to air pollution vary across regions, with studies focusing on the United States, Mexico City, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In the US, studies have found associations between air pollution and postneonatal infant mortality, with a particular focus on respiratory causes and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). One US study found that a 10-μg/m³ increase in PM10 was associated with a 16% increase in postneonatal infant mortality from respiratory causes, and a 20% increase in deaths from SIDS for a 10-ppb increase in ozone.
In Mexico City, historical episodes of air pollution in the 1950s led to acute increases in infant mortality. Recent studies from the 1990s also found an association between excess infant mortality and the level of fine particles in the days before death, with a 10-microgram m(-3) increase leading to a 6.9% excess of infant deaths. Nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels were also associated with infant mortality, although not as consistently.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, exposure to PM2.5 is extremely high due to the reliance on solid fuels for cooking and dust from deserts. A 10μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 concentration is linked to a 9% rise in infant mortality, resulting in an estimated 449,000 infant deaths in 2015 alone. This suggests that air pollution plays a significant role in infant mortality in the region.
Overall, while the exact number of infant deaths attributable to air pollution may vary due to different methodologies and definitions, the evidence suggests a strong association between air pollution and infant mortality. The vulnerability of infants to air pollution underscores the urgency of implementing policies and interventions to reduce pollution levels and protect this vulnerable population.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that around 7 million people die every year from indoor and outdoor air pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4.2 million of these deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution, and 3.8 million from indoor air pollution.
Outdoor air pollution is primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels, forest fires, waste burning, industrial activities, and residential energy for cooking and heating. The largest source of natural air pollution is airborne dust from the world's deserts.
Air pollution is linked to strokes, heart diseases, lung cancer, acute and chronic respiratory diseases, and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In 2021, exposure to air pollution was linked to more than 700,000 deaths of children under five years old.
Policies and investments that support sustainable land use, cleaner household energy, energy-efficient housing, and better waste management can help reduce air pollution. The WHO has also developed strategies to raise awareness about the risks of air pollution and solutions to mitigate exposure.
