Health: Polluted Air Kills More than Smoking Cigarettes

Polluted air is a major environmental threat to human health and has even surpassed cigarette smoking as a public health hazard. The warning comes from the USA, where the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute has published a study that air pollution is “the largest external threat to human life expectancy on the planet.” Among pollutants, fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is one of the most harmful to health. The latest data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) shows that a permanent reduction in global air pollution PM2.5, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), would add 2.3 years to the average human life expectancy, or a total of 17.8 billion years of life saved.

The WHO estimates that “6.7 million people die each year worldwide due to air pollution present both in the outside environment and inside the home.” In Europe, it represents a major health risk factor. Among the most hazardous substances, the WHO identifies particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and tropospheric ozone (O₃).

In recent weeks, smoke has enveloped entire towns in the Brazilian Amazon. So-called “controlled fires,” which farmers use to make room for livestock or new crops, have gotten out of control and have gone well beyond authorized boundaries. In the first half of August, 14,388 fires were recorded, a 25.8% increase over July. According to the World Air Quality index, Brazil is currently the fifth most polluted country in the world. Adding to this scenario is the severe drought that is affecting the region’s major rivers due to climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon.