Air pollution is a mixture of particles and gases that can reach harmful concentrations indoors and outdoors. Its impact may range from higher disease risks to higher temperatures.
Smoke, smog, mould, pollen, methane and carbon dioxide are examples of common pollutants.
Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas, which traps heat into the atmosphere and causes climate change. In the past 150 years, humans have pumped enough of it into the atmosphere to levels higher than hundreds of thousands of years.
Chinese authorities-imposed a ban years ago to cut daily most of the automobile traffic in Beijing. They stopped construction and shut down industries. But Kenya has the same problem.
Air contaminants are “airborne pollutants that can cause health effects such as cancer, genetic mutations, organ damage, changes to the nervous system and physiological harm as a result of prolonged exposure, even in relatively small amounts”. For some, there does not appear to be safe exposure.
Cardiopulmonary disease
We have no choice but to breathe the air around us. If it is polluted, we breathe in particles and gases that can hurt their lungs, heart and overall health. Fortunately, people usually start to feel better as soon as the air quality improves, but not always.
The elderly, the young, and those with cardiopulmonary disease are the most vulnerable to air pollution exposure. Children are at greater risk because their lungs are still growing. Also, they play outside.
But we have options that can help us stay healthy. We can choose to stay indoors or be less active on low air quality days and places whenever possible.
The government should enforce stricter air pollution norms for vehicular emissions, whereas the industry should manufacture less-polluting vehicles. In Canada, every vehicle owner has to go through clean emission tests every year on their birthday.
It is time the citizens pressured the government and the auto industry to clean the country’s air and, hence, reduce pollution and the resultant deaths.
