"Red alert" about pollution
According to a report by IQAir, a reputable Swiss air quality measurement organization, out of 134 countries and territories surveyed, only 7 countries meet the WHO guideline limit for PM2.5 fine dust in the air. They are Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand.
Schoolgirls cover their noses with handkerchiefs as they walk through the dusty streets of New Delhi, India - Photo: AFP
The vast majority of other countries and territories do not meet WHO standards for PM2.5, a type of fine dust smaller than the width of a human hair that, when inhaled, can cause a host of serious health problems for humans.
“The science is pretty clear about the effects of air pollution, but we’ve become accustomed to background pollution levels that are too high to be healthy,” said Glory Dolphin Hammes, IQAir’s North America chief executive.
The IQAir report found that the most polluted country was Pakistan, with PM2.5 levels 14 times higher than WHO standards. The South Asian country, along with neighboring India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso, were the most polluted countries on IQAir's list.
But even in rich, developed countries, progress in cutting air pollution is under threat. Canada, for example, long considered to have the cleanest air in the Western world, became the worst place for PM2.5 last year as record-breaking wildfires ravaged the country, spreading toxins across Canada and into the United States.
Meanwhile, in China, improving air quality became more complicated and difficult last year as economic activity recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, with IQAir reporting that PM2.5 levels in the mainland rose 6.5%.
Even modern European cities like Milan are ranked by IQAir as having poor air quality - Photo: Euronews
IQAir's sixth annual report found that the world's most polluted urban area last year was Begusarai in India, and the South Asian country is also home to four of the world's most polluted cities.
However, most developing countries, especially those in Africa, lack reliable air quality measurements, so there may be other, more polluted cities that have not been ranked.
Nowhere is safe from fine dust
WHO has lowered its guideline for “safe” PM2.5 levels in 2021 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and with this new standard, many countries, such as those in Europe that have cleaned up their air significantly over the past 20 years, have failed to achieve safe levels of fine particulate matter.
More importantly, even the WHO’s stricter guidelines may not fully capture the risks of air pollution. A study published last month by the Boston University School of Public Health found that the WHO’s recommended levels are not safe enough.
Accordingly, there is still a significant increase in the number of hospital visits for cardiovascular and respiratory problems when exposed to PM2.5 for a short time and below the WHO limit.
Additionally, based on an analysis of 60 million Americans aged 65 and older from 2000 to 2016, the study found that the risk of hospitalization for seven major cardiovascular diseases increased with exposure to average PM2.5 levels in the United States.
Therefore, scientists at the Boston University School of Public Health say that there is no safe level of PM2.5, and even small amounts of this fine dust increase the risk of serious health problems.
Another report, by the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (Epic), found that air pollution kills about 7 million people a year worldwide - more than AIDS and malaria combined - and that the burden is felt most acutely in developing countries that rely on dirty fuels for heating, lighting and cooking.
"Countries need to take more drastic action to make cities more walkable and less dependent on cars, closely monitor forestry activities to minimize the impact of wildfire smoke, and quickly move away from fossil fuels with clean energy," said Glory Dolphin Hammes, CEO of IQAir North America.
Dr Aidan Farrow, senior air scientist at environmental group Greenpeace International, also shared the view that humanity must increase monitoring and improve air quality. “In 2023, air pollution remains a global health disaster, and IQAir’s global dataset provides an important reminder of the need to take action on this issue,” said Mr Farrow.
Nguyen Khanh
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