EP 185 - Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health – Chronic Disease Toll of Air Pollution

Air pollution, both visible and hidden, poses a critical global threat to health and prosperity, causing over 7 million annual deaths worldwide, a number on the rise. It encompasses indoor and outdoor contamination from various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and natural events. Nearly all of the global population breathes polluted air, with low- and middle-income countries facing the highest exposures. 

Air pollution's hazardous components include vehicle emissions, volatile organic compounds, and fine particulate matter. Notably, it intertwines with climate change due to shared sources like fossil fuel combustion.

The health impacts are vast and expanding as research continues, affecting organs and systems far beyond respiratory issues. Even developed countries grapple with air quality concerns, while developing nations face intensified pollution due to rapid industrialization. 

Over two million annual premature deaths are attributed to air pollution. Its effects range from common diseases to nervous, digestive, and urinary system impairments. Though strides are made in the struggle against pollution, no safe threshold has been determined. Solutions exist, such as transitioning to renewable energy and electric vehicles, but the journey requires global commitment. Today, we delve into these strategies with our esteemed guests, aiming to uncover ways to reduce air pollution's health and environmental impacts. 

Mark Ereth, formerly with the Mayo Clinic, Joel Schwartz with Harvard T.S.Chan School of Public Health and Sarah Vogel with the Environmental Defense fund talk with Host Bernice Butler about why we should care about the chronic disease  toll of air pollution.

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