Air pollution


air pollution

Also particulate matter smaller than 2.5 μm is a very insidious pollutant for our lungs: usually this fine particle size comes from forest fire smoke and diesel exhaust from cars, but also from the release of gases power stations and heavy industry.

Concentration of chemicals, methane emissions and heat increase (global temperatures increment) are all factors affecting ozone formation while wildfire and air stagnation influence particulate matter concentrations: the increase of these factors will only increase the number of premature deaths.

Comparing NOAA’s National Climate Data Center temperature data with US EPA Air Quality System ground-level ozone measurements emerge that direct relationship between temperature and ozone exists but the bad news is that these analysis have shown and confirmed the fact that, even in front of future emission reductions, temperature-related pollution will worsen.

Due to future global temperature raise the wildfire risk will increase also causing important drought. Already a study conduced in 2012 on worldwide mortality estimated about  340.000 premature deaths peryear attributable to fine particulates from forest fires.

It is clear that health professionals will continue to play a fundamental role in understanding ever more clearly the damage that climate change can cause on human health. These professionals will be increasingly called upon to carry out also a fundamental communication between health structures and political institutions in order to indicate the most suitable solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause major health problems on population.

We only have one home. We would do well to look after it.

More awareness about the health of our planet is necessary to preserve our future generations