Air Pollution

One would not think air pollution is that risky, but it leads to far more problems than people realize. The World Health Organization has reported 7 million deaths caused by air pollution. Air pollution has become the largest environmental health risk. In 2012, 4.3 million deaths were caused by indoor air pollution and 3.7 million from outdoor pollution. Indoor air pollution happens from cooking on coal or wood stoves, seen in China. Having stoves that work on coal and wood are equivalent to having a campfire in the kitchen. Outdoor pollution comes from factories and cars. The most deaths from pollution occur in China, they suffer from both indoor and outdoor air pollution.
Maria Neira, the agency's public health and environment director, has said air pollution is a greater risk than people realize, especially for heart disease and stroke. Women are exposed to indoor pollution more because they cook, but men have a higher chance of death because of health problems. Air pollution worsens underlying health issues such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and respiratory infection. A professor of toxicology, Michael Kleinman, says "people don't die of air pollution alone; they die of other things the pollution tends to exacerbate.”
- Tony Barboza
- March 25, 2014
- http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-air-pollution-deaths-world-health-organization-20140325,0,5308688.story