Act now to clean up air

"There is nothing more fundamental to human existence than breathing. Without air, people die in a matter of minutes. As well as the oxygen that is essential for survival, air contains pollutants of increasingly anthropogenic origin. These contaminants are emitted into outdoor air by combustion, which is essential for generating energy, and by the industrial and agricultural processes that underpin every element of modern life. Contaminants also penetrate buildings, in which they mingle with indoor air pollutants, rendering homes and offices not entirely safe."

"Each breath brings with it a new load of pollutants - and the lungs are a barrier to them. Although some contaminants are exhaled, a large proportion of them are deposited on the surface of the respiratory tract. From there, they enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. The consequences for health are profound. Some of these stem from the toxic nature of the pollutant."

"Exposure to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres (PM 2.5), in particular, is the lead contributor to global disease burden, causing cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory conditions, lung cancer, diabetes, lower respiratory infection, leukaemia and Parkinson's disease. The fractional contribution of PM 2.5 to disease burden has increased considerably over the past 30 years, owing to both increased exposure and an ageing population."

Breathing exposes humans continuously to anthropogenic pollutants emitted by combustion and by industrial and agricultural processes. Outdoor contaminants penetrate indoor environments and mix with indoor air pollutants, reducing the safety of homes and offices. Many inhaled particles deposit on respiratory surfaces; some are exhaled but many enter the bloodstream and distribute through the body. Health impacts arise from toxicity, the physical presence of foreign matter, and infectious respiratory particles. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the leading contributor to global disease burden, linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative conditions, with burden rising due to greater exposure and population ageing.

Read at Nature