Air

• Deaths from air pollution in cities

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Toxics we breathe

Particulate matter is an air pollutant in the form of extremely small toxic particles. Inhaling them can cause asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular issues, and premature death.

It’s worse in cities

Car exhaust is a major source of particulate matter and the problem is therefore worse in cities. Electric cars or cars with very effective filters can help reduce the problem.

It’s a bit scary

Recently, there has been increasing interest in ultra fine particles with a diameter os less than 0.1 micrometers because they can move into the blood stream and then to other parts of the body. But we don’t know much about them…

Something must change

In some cities, the level of particulate matter is 8 times higher than the recommended maximum level. The mortality in cities with high levels of air pollution is 15-20 percent higher than in cleaner cities.

It’s affecting our reproduction

Pregnant women's exposure to air pollution from cars can change the structure of the baby’s chromosomes leading to increased risks of cancer.

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• Deaths from air pollution in cities

  Nearly 50 percent of the world’s population (or 3.2 billion people) lived in urban areas in 2006. As many as 2.3 billion lived in cities with a population over 100 thousand – over 3000 cities in total. The World Health Organization estimates a total of 865 thousand deaths in 2002 as a consequence of air pollution in these cities.
  • World Helath Organization, 2007 (Excel file)
  • Copenhagen Consensus: Air pollution

• 1. Toxics we breathe

     • Report: OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030
     • Wikipedia - Particulate

  2. It’s worse in cities

     • Wikipedia - Air pollution

  3. It’s a bit scary

     • United Nations report: Global Environmental Outlook 4, p56

  4. Something must change

     • World Health Organization: Air quality and health
     • Wikipedia - particulate

  5. It’s affecting our reproduction

     • US National Institute of Health: Mothers' Exposure to Air Pollutants Linked to Chromosome Damage in Babies

Content

• ALL FACTS
• Air that you have inhaled today
• Deaths from air pollution in cities
• Time spend indoors
• Healthy life lost from air pollution
• Recovery of the ozone hole

• OK, I get it. Bad things are going on
• Now what?