Air Pollution Visualized: Infographics For Awareness

Air pollution is a pressing global issue, and the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it a public health emergency. WHO data reveals that 99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds the organization's guideline limits, leading to 7 million premature deaths annually. To address this crisis, the WHO promotes interventions and initiatives for healthy sectoral policies and works with various organizations to raise awareness about the issue. For instance, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has created infographics highlighting the impacts of air pollution on health, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, and providing information on actions that can be taken to protect people from pollutants. These infographics are powerful tools to communicate the complex relationships between air pollution, climate change, and health, and to advocate for sustainable practices and policies that can mitigate the impacts of air pollution.

Burning wood and power plants

Burning wood and biomass releases a range of pollutants, including particulate matter (PM2.5), benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein, hydrocarbons, and dioxins. These pollutants are hazardous to human health and are linked to aggravated asthma symptoms, irregular heartbeat, reduced lung function, and premature death in those with existing heart or lung disease. Residential wood burning is a significant contributor to air pollution in many neighbourhoods and communities, particularly during the winter months. For example, in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, residential wood burning contributes 23% of the area's PM2.5 pollution, compared to 13% from traffic. Similarly, in Auckland, New Zealand, residential wood burning accounts for 69% of fine particulate pollution in the winter.

The combustion of wood and biomass for energy has come under increasing scrutiny due to its impact on air quality. A recent study found that U.S. biomass-burning facilities emit, on average, 2.8 times more pollution than power plants burning coal, oil, or natural gas. This contradicts the claims made by the biomass industry that wood pellet production and burning are climate-friendly solutions. The study highlights the thousands of tons of toxic air pollutants emitted during the pellet-making process and the burning of wood pellets, which are harmful to local communities' health.

Power plants, on the other hand, have been transitioning to cleaner energy sources and implementing measures to reduce air pollution. While traditional fossil fuel power plants burning coal, oil, or natural gas contribute to air pollution, the shift towards renewable energy sources and stricter emission control regulations are helping to mitigate their impact on air quality. Additionally, power generation technologies, such as natural gas combined-cycle plants and advanced coal-fired power plants, have been developed to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.

However, it is important to note that power plants can still contribute significantly to air pollution, depending on their energy source and emission control technologies. For example, coal-fired power plants are major sources of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and mercury emissions. Natural gas-fired power plants, while cleaner than coal, can still emit nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. The impact of power plants on air quality can also depend on their proximity to population centres and the prevailing wind patterns.

To address the air pollution caused by burning wood and power plants, a combination of policy interventions, technological advancements, and behavioural changes is necessary. Policies that promote sustainable land use, cleaner household energy sources, and improved waste management can help reduce key sources of ambient air pollution. Additionally, stricter emission standards and government subsidies for clean energy technologies can incentivize the transition to cleaner energy sources. Educating the public about the health and environmental impacts of burning wood and promoting alternative heating methods can also help reduce wood burning as a source of air pollution.

Children's health

Air pollution is a major threat to health, causing about seven million premature deaths annually. It is a particular risk for children, whose bodies and immune systems are still developing. Children are more exposed to air pollution because they breathe more rapidly than adults relative to their body weight, they spend more time outdoors, and they tend to breathe air closer to the ground, which is closer to sources of pollution like dust and vehicle exhaust. They are also more vulnerable to indoor air pollution, such as secondhand smoke.

Children are at risk from the time they are in the womb until they reach adulthood. Air pollution increases the risk of babies being smaller during pregnancy, having a low birth weight, and being born prematurely. It also increases the risk of asthma, reduced lung function, respiratory infections, and allergies in children, as well as increasing the risk of adult chronic diseases. More than 1,200 deaths in people under 18 are estimated to be caused by air pollution every year in EEA member and collaborating countries. In 2021, air pollution was the second leading risk factor for death among children under five globally, after malnutrition, with a total of 709,000 deaths linked to air pollution.

The main sources of outdoor air pollution in Europe are traffic, heating, and industry. While emissions have declined, air pollution levels are still not safe. Household air pollution is one of the leading causes of disease and premature death in the developing world, with 3.8 million premature deaths each year caused by exposure to smoke from cooking fires, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. Burning fuels such as wood and coal in inefficient stoves produces health-damaging pollutants, including particulate matter, methane, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds.

Particulate matter is a pollutant of special concern. Smaller-diameter particles (PM2.5 or smaller) are generally more dangerous and can penetrate tissues and organs. Exposure to indoor air pollutants can lead to a wide range of adverse health outcomes in both children and adults, from respiratory illnesses to cancer to eye problems.

Clean air initiatives

Clean air is a basic requirement for good health and well-being, yet air pollution poses a significant threat to both. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed and implemented strategies to raise awareness about the dangers of air pollution and promote solutions to mitigate the risks associated with it.

WHO's initiatives focus on addressing key health risks from indoor and outdoor air pollution and contributing to health co-benefits from climate change mitigation policies. They support interventions and initiatives for healthy sectoral policies, including energy, transport, housing, urban development, and the electrification of healthcare facilities.

One of the critical aspects of WHO's work is providing technical support to its member states. This support includes developing normative guidance, tools, and the provision of authoritative advice on health issues related to air pollution and its sources. WHO assists governments and stakeholders from high-emitting sectors in understanding the value proposition of tackling air pollution.

Additionally, WHO promotes policies and investments that support sustainable land use, cleaner household energy, and improved municipal waste management. These measures aim to reduce key sources of ambient air pollution, such as residential energy for cooking and heating, vehicles, power generation, and industry.

Furthermore, the organization emphasizes the link between air quality and social determinants of health (SDOH). Disparities exist in how people are affected by air pollution, influenced by factors like geographic location, race/ethnicity, family income, and educational attainment. Understanding these connections is crucial for developing targeted interventions and ensuring equitable access to clean air.

Fossil fuels and climate change

Fossil fuels are a major contributor to climate change. When fossil fuels are burned, they release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming. The combustion of fossil fuels is also a source of air pollution, which poses a major threat to both health and climate.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost the entire global population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants. Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other diseases and are significant sources of morbidity and mortality. Fine particulate matter in the air, resulting from ambient air pollution in cities and rural areas, causes strokes, heart diseases, lung cancer, and acute and chronic respiratory diseases.

The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world. The average global temperature has increased by 1°C, and global temperatures passed the critical 1.5°C milestone for the first time in 2024. Warming above 1.5°C risks further sea level rise, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, species extinction, food scarcity, and worsening health and poverty for millions of people.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that fossil fuel emissions must be halved within 11 years. However, global emissions from fossil fuels continue to rise, with record increases in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in both 2022 and 2023. This trend is impeding progress toward meeting climate goals and limiting climate change.

Policies and interventions that support sustainable land use, cleaner energy and transport, energy-efficient housing, and better waste management can effectively reduce key sources of ambient air pollution. Additionally, addressing the drivers of air pollution, such as the combustion of fossil fuels, offers a "win-win" strategy for both climate and health, contributing to the near- and long-term mitigation of climate change.

Health risks

Air pollution is a major health threat, causing serious respiratory diseases and other health issues, and contributing to high morbidity and mortality rates. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost everyone on the planet (99%) breathes air that exceeds healthy levels due to high pollution, with low- and middle-income countries suffering the most exposure. Outdoor, or ambient, air pollution is caused by residential energy use, vehicles, power generation, agriculture/waste incineration, and industry. Indoor air pollution comes from household combustion devices, such as open fires or simple stoves, and is particularly dangerous for the 2.4 billion people exposed to it.

The health risks of air pollution are significant and far-reaching. Fine particulate matter in the air we breathe can lead to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and acute and chronic respiratory diseases. The impact of air pollution on health is so severe that it causes around 7 million premature deaths each year. Everyone is vulnerable to the effects, and in Europe, air pollution is the leading environmental threat to health, causing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually and incurring billions in healthcare costs.

Children are especially susceptible to the impacts of air pollution, often suffering consequences that last a lifetime. This vulnerability is outside of their control and is influenced by societal factors. The burning of wood in households and power plants contributes to harmful levels of nitrogen dioxide, which has serious health implications.

To mitigate these health risks, policies that address air pollution and climate change simultaneously are essential. This includes initiatives to promote sustainable land use, cleaner household energy, efficient transportation, and improved waste management. By implementing such measures, we can effectively reduce key sources of ambient air pollution and improve the health and well-being of people worldwide.

Frequently asked questions