Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. The air is becoming toxic because of dangerous emissions being released into it following energy use and production in factories. Burning fossil fuel releases different gases and chemicals into the air. Air pollution contributes to climate change and exacerbates it. At the moment, air pollution is responsible for more deaths worldwide than many better-known risk factors such as malnutrition, alcohol use, and physical inactivity. Each year, more people die from air pollution-related diseases than from road traffic injuries or malaria. Air pollution reduces average life expectancy by almost as much as active tobacco smoking does.
Recently, the US-based organisations Health Effects Institute and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation released a report titled 'The State of Global Air 2019'. In 2017, air pollution was the fifth highest mortality risk factor globally and was associated with about 4.90 million deaths and loss of 147 million years of healthy life, the report added. The report stated that countries of South Asia have the most polluted cities in the world. The report also said that indoor and outdoor air pollution led to 123,000 deaths in Bangladesh in 2017. The life of a South Asian child will be shortened on average by 30 months as they grow up in current high levels of air pollution.
The report, which used data from 1990 to 2017, further observed that life expectancy in Bangladesh would see the highest expected gain of nearly 1.30 years if air pollution levels meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
Air quality in Asia has remained poor, especially in Bangladesh where the entire population has remained exposed to PM2.5 levels above 35 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3) since 1990, the report mentioned.
The major sources of pollution, according to the study, are household solid fuels, dust from construction, coal power plants, brick production, transportation and diesel-powered equipment, among others.
Humans and other living beings live on air. But fresh air is gradually becoming rare in the country. The government, private sector and each and every citizen of Bangladesh should do their best to curb air pollution in the country.
Md. Zillur Rahaman Satish Sarker Road, Gandaria, Dhaka.
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