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Improve air quality to save lives says WHO
06/Oct/2006: With air pollution killing nearly two million people every year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the governments across the world, to improve the air quality standards in cities and other populated areas. Most of the people, who die from air pollution, are from developing countries.
A statement issued by the WHO’s regional office in Manila, said that more than 300,000 lives could be saved every year, if the levels of suspended particulate matter in the air is reduced considerably. Particulate matters, commonly known as PM10, are tiny dark particles that are smaller than 10 micrometers, which are produced by incomplete combustion of fossil or organic fuels. Their size allows them to enter our respiratory tracts easily and settle in the lungs, leading to a host of respiratory problems.
According to WHO, the average annual levels of PM10 exceeds 70 micrograms per cubic meter of air, in many cities around the world. The recent WHO guidelines have called for this level to be reduced to 20 micrograms per cubic meter to air, to safeguard the public health. Maria Neira, the WHO director of public health and environment, said that, if the average annual levels of PM10 are reduced to 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air, then it could cut the deaths from air pollution by 15% and also reduce the global burden of diseases from respiratory infections and heart disorders.
The new WHO Air Quality Guidelines recommend lowering the daily allowed limits of ozone from 120 micrograms (specified by the previous WHO guideline) to 100 micrograms per cubic meter of air. This could be a challenge, especially for the developing countries, where the ozone concentration reaches its peak, during sunny days, causing asthma and other respiratory illnesses in people. The new WHO guidelines also want the sulfur dioxide levels to be reduced from 125 to 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
The new guideline was established after worldwide consultation with more than 80 leading scientists and it provides the basis for all countries to build their own air quality standards and develop policies on health. However, many countries across the globe do not have regulations for air pollution, which makes control on air pollution literally impossible.
K Siva
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