Air Pollution Causes 5.5 Million Deaths Each Year

Air Pollution, including water pollution, kills millions of people each year worldwide; this is what a recent study published in the journal Nature has found. The scientists conclude the problem is worst than previously thought; environmental pollution has become more deadly than AIDS and malaria combined.

Pollution causes cardiovascular diseases and many cancers

Breathing is indispensable for all living creatures to remain alive. It provides oxygen to our cells and plays many other vital functions. But what if the very air we breathe becomes a poison to our body? That’s the researchers suggest. The air pollution is more deadly than it has ever been. This is what suggests a new study shows.

A few years ago, the World Health Organization estimated that at least three million people die prematurely each year due to prolonged exposure to air pollution. The situation is not improving; it is getting worst. A recent studies has found that air pollution kills more than 5.5 millions people each year. This figure could rise up to 6.6 million in the coming years. Environmental pollution, including water pollution, causes many people, who would live a long and healthy life, to develop serious diseases and victim of premature death.

Chronic exposure to air pollution particles contributes significantly to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as certain cancers. “The total number of deaths due to the AIDS virus and malaria is 2.8 million people per year. That’s half a million fewer than the number of people dying from air pollution, “says Jos Lelieveld, a professor at Max Planck Institute, Germany, and lead author of the study.

Pollution Could Cost $ 225 Billion Annually

In addition to loosing lives, air pollution costs more than $ 5 billion annually to the planet.  Harmful substances from industry and motor traffic are far from the only source of environmental pollution. The study also points to fuels we commonly use in our houses, especially for cooking. Prolonged exposure to those harmful gases can also lead to the development of severe medical conditions and premature death.

The Study also shows that the largest number of deaths per capita is observed in the Western Pacific region and in South East Asia and the Mediterranean. These countries have the highest levels of environmental pollution. What makes the situation worst is the fact there is no real initiative taken to really solve the problem. Meanwhile, millions of people continue to die every year.

A recent report by the World Bank Group estimated that air pollution and its impact on the life expectancy of the population costs the global economy about US$225 billion in 2015. According to forecasts of the same organization, if nothing is done to stop this scourge, air pollution could kill up to 9 billion people per year by 2060.